Pet Adoption during the Pandemic: 3 Things You Need to Know

According to the American Pet Products Association, roughly 44 percent of all households in the United States had a dog between 2015-16, while about 35 percent of households had a cat. These pets and other domesticated animals provide comfort and companionship. Thus, it's not surprising that pet ownership increased dramatically during the onset of the pandemic, when most businesses shut down and people became more isolated from each other.  

1 in 5 Households Adopted a Pet 

In May 2021, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) reported that around 23 million American households adopted a dog or cat since the beginning of the pandemic. This equates to about 1 in 5 households. It arrived at this figure after conducting a national poll involving more than 5,000 respondents. 

Although there were many stories about people returning to normalcy and having to give up their new pets for adoption, the ASPCA also found that this wasn't as concerning a trend as it was made out to be. One year removed from the start of the pandemic, its poll found that 90 percent of households still had their adopted dogs.  

"This incredibly stressful period motivated many people to foster and adopt animals, as well as further cherish the pets already in their lives, and our recent research shows no significant risk of animals being rehomed by their owners now or in the near future as a result of the lifting of pandemic-related restrictions," explained ASPCA president and CEO Matt Bershadker. 

Increases in Vet Care and Other Services 

The pet industry as a whole benefited from the increase in dog and cat adoption. Americans spent nearly $50 billion on dog food and non-medical pet products through the first 11 months of 2021, according to Euromonitor International. Many boarding centers and doggy day cares were also reporting months-long waiting lists as of December 2021.  

Barkbox, which sends monthly dog treat boxes to subscribers, experienced a 39 percent year-over-year membership increase in 2021. Moreover, its revenue rose 130 percent between April and September 2021 compared to the same six-month stretch in 2020. 

Dog Walking Becoming More Popular 

Dog walking has become a much more popular form of gig work since the pandemic. While opportunities for work declined for many dog walkers in the early stages of the pandemic, business picked up as society began reopening and people started taking vacations. Wag!, a platform through which dog owners can find qualified dog walkers and sitters, projected revenue of $42 million in 2022, up 120 percent from the year prior. The company was valued at $44 billion in 2020.