FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Wednesday, March 23, is National Puppy Day. It’s the day man, or woman celebrates their furry best friend. While we appreciate those bundles of furry joy, shelters are reporting an uptick in pet returns and this increase in shelter capacity comes as an aftereffect of the pandemic.
During the 2020 lockdown, many people were lonely and secluded from family and friends. To remedy that dilemma, people took to animal shelters to take home a new companion, but as time went on, the pandemic slowed down people returned to the workplace, leaving their dogs behind.
The adopted animals were acclimated to having a consistent human presence. Many pet owners realized they overestimated the responsibility of balancing work and caring for a pet. There is no direct data saying if these returns are pandemic pets but, people are resorting to returns in part because of balance and other pandemic struggles. Both factors lead to overcrowding at shelters.
“In general what we’re seeing across the board in animal shelters across the country is a really big problem. Best Friends animal society is estimating 100,000 more dogs and cats in shelters than this time last year, ” Hannah Stember with Best Friends Animal Society said.
The return to the workplace also took a negative toll on many pups. Animals developed separation anxiety and behavior issues because of this drastic change in routine.
“Definitely some anxiety and just being shuffled around, any time animals get shuffled around like that and when you change their environment multiple times it stresses them out, ”Randon Hassell a shelter technician at Fayetteville Animal Service said.
If you are dealing with second-guessing your adoption, there are a few things you can do to combat new behaviors before returning your fur baby.
“There are different people in town, there’s even people who come to your house like a dogwalker, stuff like that. Get your dog out when you get home from work, get them on a schedule,” Hassell said.
Experts say if you’re considering adoption, think about that decision to ensure a new pet fits the lifestyle you lead. Pets are dependent responsibilities that rely on a human to survive. Experts also say if your need assistance caring for your pet, ask sooner than later.
To combat shelter overflow, Fayetteville Animal Services waived its adoption fees through Saturday, March 26.
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