Readers Say

Did you adopt a pandemic pet? Tell us about your furry friend.

1 in 5 American households adopted a pet during the height of the pandemic.

Boston.com reader Kirkley Cheney shared a photo of Skipper, an old English cream golden retriever, who was brought home April 2020. Kirkley Cheney

By Zipporah Osei

September 24, 2021

In times of stress many people reach for the comfort of their pets so it’s no surprise that over the last year and a half, animal shelters across the country have seen an increase in the number of adoptions.

The most commonly adopted pets during the pandemic were cats and dogs, but many people also opted for smaller pets like guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, reptiles, and birds. About 23 million American households — roughly 1 in 5 — adopted or bought a pet between March 2020 and May 2021, according to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

According to their survey, 90% of households who got a dog during the pandemic still have the pet, and 85% of households who got a cat still have them.

Despite worries that these pets would be rehomed or returned as life gets to normal and people start spending less time at home, pandemic pets are still being loved and cared for by their owners, according to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-Angell.

“I don’t think there’s any trend of that, nationally, locally, or within our organization,” said Mike Keiley, director of the MSPCA-Angell adoption centers told Boston.com.

If you adopted a pet during the pandemic, we want to know what your experience has been like. Perhaps the pet you brought home during the height of the pandemic has taken on new meaning while serving as a reminder of that time. Did adding a new addition to your home bring you some much-needed comfort during months of lockdown or did you end up taking on more than you anticipated?

Let us know how adopting a pandemic pet impacted you and share a photo of your four-legged, winged, or scaly companion by filling out the survey below or e-mailing us at [email protected] and we may feature your response in a future article.