Since the pandemic began to take its course in the United States early last year, animal adoptions have surged. Many people turned to adopting animals because of the excess free time many had as a result of lockdown and the companionship animals can provide. Because of this, the term “pandemic pet” was coined. After being sent home last March from my freshman year of college due to COVID-19, I decided to join the masses and bring home a pandemic pet, my sweet little dog, Arlo.
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Getting a pet of my own was always something I hoped to do when I went to college. I have been compiling potential pet names for years on the notes app in my phone, dreaming of the puppy that could one day be mine. After campus was closed and I moved back home, my day-to-day life quickly changed. I went from experiencing freedom for the first time to being back in my hometown quarantining with my family. While the pandemic has presented me and the world with a multitude of challenges, I found myself with more free time than I’ve ever have before, so I decided it was the perfect time to bring a furry friend into my life. Days after bringing this idea up to my mom, she brought her phone over to me, showing me a picture of the cutest puppy I’d ever seen; A tiny black and gray ball of fur. I quickly decided he would be a perfect fit for me and I brought him home to my parent’s house in April.
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While the world was cautiously waiting at home in quarantine, I had all the free time I needed to give my new puppy the attention he deserved. Something that would have held me back from getting a puppy post-quarantine is the time commitment involved in training, bonding with, and acclimating to life with a new furry friend. As a college student, a normal school schedule is not ideal for raising an animal but with the free time granted to me by the pandemic, I was able to commit myself wholeheartedly to Arlo’s needs. Because I was back home, I also had the help of my family in taking care of Arlo during his first few months in our home. The help I received from my family members was essential in raising my puppy. I’m so thankful for the time I was able to commit to Arlo during quarantine because now that things have begun to return to normal, he is a well-behaved, happy pup who is equipped to stay alone for a few hours when my schedule gets busy.
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Another reason getting a puppy during the height of quarantine was a great decision is because Arlo provided me with a welcome distraction to the chaos and anxiety that COVID-19 brought to my life. I had always heard pets were a great way to alleviate anxiety, but I didn’t realize how much owning a dog would really help my mental health improve. Taking my new furry friend for walks and snuggling up with him on the couch were, and still are, two of my favorite ways to destress. Not only did my new puppy provide me a way to destress, but he also gave me the motivation to get out and stay active during a time when many people felt isolated and trapped in quarantine. After I brought Arlo home, I found myself making every outing with him an adventure! I went to the park with him multiple times a week, something I never would have done by myself. While this may not seem like much now, these little outings made all the difference in the repetitive days I had during those months. If I hadn’t brought a puppy into my life during quarantine, I think I would have had a much harder time coping with the changes the pandemic brought to my life.
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Now, almost a year later, I’m still so happy with my decision to get my dog during the pandemic. Arlo has helped me get through the worst parts of lockdown and continues to make my life better every day!