Emotions are pumped to the ceiling. Expectations are sky-high as the whole family waits for the start of a new journey. A new member of the family has joined, fluffy and playful, and can be there in hard times. In this case, Tomas Arcila is getting his new puppy and Jose Pablo Gutierrez his kitten,  for both of them it has been a great experience to have adopted or purchased pets in the course of the pandemic.

The increase in pet adoptions and purchases during the pandemic is statistically undeniable. Since the pandemic has kept so many residents at home, there has been such a high demand for pet adoptions.  The Covid pandemic has an indirect relationship with this phenomenon, mostly due to loneliness, depression, and the anxiety that people are experiencing lately.

“There are without a doubt multiple studies and articles that show how having a pet is an option… that allows promoting a state of a healthy life, moments of enjoyment, so it is valid to believe that there exists a positive outcome in mental health by having a pet that’s beside you,” HS Counselor, Ana Isabel Garcia, said.

This trend is growing everywhere, and TCS community isn’t different from the rest of the world.  Approximately 33% of the TCS middle and high school community has adopted or purchased a pet during quarantine.

They say a dog is man’s best friend, and in Tomas Arcila’s case, this might be true. Arcila, a tenth-grade student, adopted a male Beagle called Lilo last year, and he claims it was a great decision. This dog has kept him entertained, happy, and accompanied.

“Lilo has helped me a hundred percent to pass through these rough times, for example at the beginning of quarantine I was very tired and bored all the time, but when we adopted Lilo it was a constant overwhelming of love, I really like this puppy, it has made it way easier,” 10th grader, Tomas Arcila, said.

Arcila states that his puppy has changed many things for him, it has made him happier, more responsible, and even a more positive person.

 Dogs are not the only animals that make great company and incredible friends, but according to innerself.org cats are said to have a special curative energy that can help people improve their states of mental instability, anxiety, and even depression.

Jose Pablo hasn’t been much of a cat person all his life, it was until he bought his Siamese Kitten during quarantine that he became a big fan of them. Jose states that if it wasn’t for the pandemic, he wouldn’t have bought Luna in the first place.

“Luna has been a great help for me, she has been a great company during this quarantine, and being so lonely was the reason why I bought her in the first place.” 9th grader, Jose Pablo Gutierrez, said.

In the case of many kids, adults, and old people, cats have served throughout the quarantine as a great asset to keep people that study, work, or reside at home near a great source of “heartwarming energy,” Gutierrez, said.

“Completely, under this situation, it is the best company that you can have, especially a cat that can help you a lot to feel that you have someone to be with you, makes you feel more responsible and to be busy in something else,” Gutierrez, said.

This isn’t just a native phenomenon from Colombia. According to the Washington Post. Americans kept trying to fill voids with canine companions, either because they were stuck working from home with children who needed something to do, or had no work and lots of free time, or felt lonely with no way to socialize.

The New York Times states, that the numbers of people in the US with new pets have been rising since the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic.

According to multiple sources, such as The Washington Post, what began in mid-March as a sudden surge in demand had, as of mid-July, become a bona fide sales boom. Shelters, nonprofit rescues, private breeders, all pet stores reported more consumer demand than there were dogs and puppies to fill it.  

One cause of high pet demand during the pandemic is many families and individuals struggle to enjoy time at home. Many people are even calling this time the depression, or mental illness pandemic, there are many people out there that have been very affected by that lack of human interaction.

Domestic animals are considered a great option by the vast majority of people to have an extra source of happiness, enjoyment, and emotional support.

 “Well, a pet isn’t like a magical recipe, still I do believe that if a patient likes pets and would like to have a pet, having a cat or a dog can be beneficial for an emotional process in a given moment,” Garcia, said.

Work Cited

Hedgpeth, D. (2021, January 7). So many pets have been adopted during the pandemic that shelters are running out. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/01/06/animal-shelters-coronavirus-pandemic/.

Syed, Z. (2021, February 17). Animal adoptions are still surging during the pandemic, shelters say: ‘We’ve all found how important our pets are to us’. chicagotribune.com. https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/hinsdale/ct-dhd-pet-adoptions-covid-concerns-workers-tl-0218-20210216-xmcadllnzbehlb2r36oryyxpsi-story.html.

Robinson, L. (2021, May 3). The Health and Mood-Boosting Benefits of Pets. HelpGuide.org. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/mood-boosting-power-of-dogs.htm#:~:text=Pets%2C%20especially%20dogs%20and%20cats,valuable%20companionship%20for%20older%20adults.