COVID-19: Pet owners rise in number, and so do abandoned pets!

By Ritika Srivatsan

COVID-19 is proving to be a gamechanger for pet adoption. Ever since the pandemic reared its ugly head, there’s a spike in new pet parents. Vets are not available on video calls as they are completely occupied with physical visits by patients. There are long queues at pet clinics, which is unlike the pre-COVID era. However, the downside is also true. There are several cases across Bangalore where many new pet owners are abandoning the pets when they realise that it’s hard to maintain them, particularly dogs. Therefore, cats and hamsters have become popular alternatives as they are ‘low maintenance’ and require much less time and attention.

The Right Time is Now!

With many people working from home, it is the perfect time to invest in a pet and train them before life turns hectic again. Satya Kumar recently adopted a puppy two months ago. “I just love dogs and was planning to get one for the last two years,” she says. Pets are also therapeutic and are great companions to help with loneliness and anxiety; a huge concern during the pandemic season.

Children Need Them Most

With online schooling and heavy restrictions, children are spending most of their time at home. It is now four months into the ‘new normal’ and since there aren’t clear signs of life completely returning to pre-COVID times, it can be stressful.

Having a pet unburdens parents and also serves as a stressbuster. “My daughters were wanting a pup for a long time… we finally decided that we were ready. The situation has given us time to know and understand our pup’s needs. We have been able to train and spend more time with him,” says Anupama Menon, a mother of two who adopted a Shih-Tzu named Chase recently.

In addition to cats, hamsters and guinea pigs are other popular options for pet buyers. “The other day, I went to buy hamsters and realised that they had sold them off in just a few days, and I was left with just one,” says Hashim J, a 13-year-old who bought a hamster for the second time, because his first one died. “I have had cats, love birds, and rabbits as pets, but finally, I settled on hamsters as they are easy to maintain. I also love cats, but I had to give them up as my mother is allergic to them.”

What Do Veterinarians Have To Say?

Considering the massive increase in pet owners, vets are naturally seeing an increase in patients. With queues often exceeding an hour, Veterinary surgeon Dr Nanjundappa states, “There are definitely a lot of new pet owners mainly coming in for vaccines. There’s a particularly huge increase in the number of cats adopted, maybe as they’re low maintenance.” 

He’s not the only one seeing a rise in patients. Dr Nandini MK, another veterinarian, is treating twice the number of pets since COVID-19 began, with most of them being puppies. Says she: “Many come in with puppies as they are at home and children cannot go out to play. There are many new pet owners and I hope no one will abandon their puppies.” 

Cubbon Park Canines

Every Sunday, Cubbon Park turns into a ‘dog park’ making it a treat for both pets and pet lovers. Cubbon Park Canines is a Facebook community of over 15,000 members, which organise the dog park on Sundays and at times, other events such as a dog licensing drive. Rhea Appachu, one of the members, reveals that though there are many dogs being adopted, there are also many found abandoned. “There were many cases of abandonment prior to COVID but now it’s even crazier,” she says. “The main reason for this is because people do not realise that having a dog is like having a kid. It’s not easy at all. They have to be committed. Once they get a dog, they realise it’s not easy or even fancy. Therefore, they abandon them. It’s really sad.” Another cause was the fake news that dogs and cats can carry COVID-19 virus. However, this article quashes many of those rumours.

Shortage of Pets

Jerod Jerry of AN Kennels says that there is a shortage of pups since March as puppy breeding was stopped by the Kennel Club of India from that month. “There is a shortage of puppies and therefore the price has increased from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000,” he says. “People are still buying puppies and even more now. Though the pet adoption has doubled, there is no change in the breeds that people are buying.” The huge ticket breeds include Labrador, Beagle, Shih-Tzu and Golden Retriever. Breeds other than these are rare.

However, the demand for cats has remained the same, according to Shaistha Kauser of Cat Shack: “I don’t think there is a change in the number of cats adopted. COVID-19 has played no role. People get cats because they don’t need to dedicate more time and attention to them.”

Pet shop owner Subin Kaloor says that the demand for pets has dramatically gone up, going by the sale of pet accessories at his store. “I get close to 300 calls a day about pets and there isn’t enough to satisfy the demand,” he says. “The demand for pets is always greater because there have never been enough breeders in Bangalore.” The breeding of hamsters and guinea pigs has reduced after the pandemic surfaced. He calls the trend of buying pets as ‘panic buying’. “Since people are home with their kids and elders, they are adopting pets without realising the difficulty of maintaining them.”

Ultimately, pets are great companions and the advantages of having one are endless. However, it shouldn’t be forgotten that they too deserve the utmost care and love, regardless of the pandemic.