COVID-19 And Dog Adoption - Is It Okay To Adopt A Dog Right Now?

During the novel coronavirus pandemic, many of us have been confined to our houses and instructed to work from home. For others who are retired or already house-bound have been restricted to visitation by friends and family.

This time has brought along feelings of loneliness, sadness, and a need for companionship. One of the most recent trends that has been noticed is the spike in dog adoptions. This is great news, of course, but also brings a bit of worry. Although finding a new home is wonderful for shelter dogs for companionship, we cannot help but wonder what will happen once our lives return to normal.

The time available to spend with our newly housed dogs may become less, and there is growing concern that there will be a high return rate to shelters all over. To prevent people from making rash decisions, and for the protection of shelter dogs, there a few important things one should consider before adopting.

Animal rescuer and news journalist, Larissa Wohl, provides some useful checkpoints before considering adoption:

  • The first is to carefully consider if you will have enough time for the dog when life returns to normal.
  • You also need to carefully consider if you can financially afford the four-legged friend, as you will need to consistently buy food and keep him up to date with vaccinations.
  • Another important question you need to ask yourself is whether you are willing to get him professional help, should he need it. This includes animal behaviorists and dog trainers.
  • Finally, if you travel or go away, will you be able to accommodate the needs of your new family member too?

These are all important factors to consider, as we need to show fairness to our canine companions too!

Feature Image Source: Pixabay

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