Posted on 05/17/2021 2:29:33 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Pet adoptions skyrocketed at the beginning of the pandemic, but now that things are starting to return to normal, some pets are being returned to shelters.
A humane society in Wood County has seen an increase in dogs given up because of behavior issues.
Experts say during the pandemic, many people weren't able to be around others, and neither were their pets.
"There are some behavior things starting to pop up, where animals are not socialized enough, so they're very uncomfortable with a lot of the people coming into their home environment. So just due to that, a lot of people aren't comfortable with that, so they do end up coming back to us," said Madison Rafter, director of the South Wood County Humane Society in Wisconsin Rapids.
Experts say one way to help socialize pets is to take them on regular walks in public. Obedience classes can also be helpful
That's not a lot of data to support the thesis of the headline.
It’s happening all over the country. I just learned of the term “pandemic puppies” about 2 wks ago. ( I don’t live in Wisconsin)
Pets don’t get free healthcare or welfare. People are so thoughtless.
I don’t find the thesis unreasonable. I just don’t think this article presents evidence, only an anecdote plus speculation.
The stories about people’s adopting animals during the pandemic have been out for over a year in all kinds of media. I thought it was a bad idea all along.
I get it. It’s a 6 sentence ‘article’ giving 1 reason for the return of animals. It’s not much of an article. There are certainly more reasons. I guess WKOW didn’t have room for a more in-depth piece or just needed some filler.
From another source...
“for the past four months, we have had an extreme number of returns. We have doubled more than what we normally do during a year. I think what is happening, the world is opening up, people are going back to work, they’re traveling. People aren’t just lonely anymore, so the dogs are not necessarily fitting into their lifestyles, and they are returning them instead of trying to make adjustments to keep their dog now that the world is opening up,”
I find the explanation from your other source very probable. I talk to my kids often about how much work and commitment pets are.
“Kittens are adorable!”
“Kittens grow into cats who need 18 years of food, attention, and vet bills. You already have a ‘Kitten of the Day’ calendar.”
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