Items

• 
  2021-01-19

  Meme about the Pandemic in Austria

  I saw this meme in January 2021. It was created by an Austrian online news platform called "k.at" and was posted on their Instagram channel. The first picture on the left shows a hamster who is hoarding (or rather "hamstering") toilet paper. This showcases a phenomenon which occurred in Austria as well as in Germany: some people bought as much toilet paper as they could in the beginning of the pandemic out of fear of a lockdown (also other things as e.g. noodles, rice etc.). The result was that most people couldn't buy any toilet paper because it was sold out at most places and the manufacturers of toilet paper couldn't keep up with the production. It was kind of absurd. The second picture on the right also shows a hamster who seems to have a great time skiing. This should represent the third Austrian lockdown. At this time (around January 2021) many Austrian tourists went skiing even though the numbers of Corona cases were rising. It was quite a controversy at the time because a lot of other activities (like social gatherings) were regulated by the state for health precautions, but the skiing resorts weren't affected (and the Corona cases were also rising in these places). A little sidenote: The Coronavirus allegedly came to Germany in 2020 because of German tourists who came back from said Austrian ski travels...
• 2021-02-01

  I got two Cats duing the Pandemic

  I've always wanted to get a cat. I've only had pets while living with my parents, at first I had a black cat and then a pug. After moving out from my parents' home, I dreamt of getting a cat again. But right after moving out (I was 18 years old at the time) I didn't have the time or the money for a pet. Fast-forward a couple of years later, when the pandemic hit us all: I've had so much time on my hands to think about life in general while staying at home. I realized that I was finally ready to get a pet (or, as it turned out, two pets). I had a lot of time to research how to properly prepare myself as a pet owner and how to appropriately take care of animals. And - as a lot of us during 2020 - I spent much more time at home than usual, which was perfect to welcome a pet to its new home. I was lucky and found two happy and healthy kittens. But sadly, during the pandemic, a kind of "black market" for pets developed in Berlin and other big cities. The market for pets was bigger than ever in Germany, and a lot of them were in bad conditions and/or sold at very high prices. Often times I saw people offering kittens and puppies, who were way too young to be separated from their mothers. It was really heartbreaking to see how bad the situation was. The only bright side was that all the animal shelters in Berlin had no problems to find pet owners for the dogs and cats there.
• 2021

  Drought at Camp Wolfeboro

  This National Integrated Drought Information System website shows a timeline map of drought conditions in the United States from 2000 to present by week. The map timeline shows that Camp Wolfeboro was located in the extreme drought category during the entire of the 2021 camp season. Extreme drought, according to NIDIS, means: "Livestock need expensive supplemental feed; cattle and horses are sold; little pasture remains; fruit trees bud early; producers begin irrigating in the winter Fire season lasts year-round; fires occur in typically wet parts of state; burn bans are implemented Water is inadequate for agriculture, wildlife, and urban needs; reservoirs are extremely low; hydropower is restricted". During the same time period most of the rest of California was also in drought conditions.
• 
  2021-08-15

  COVID 19 Vaccination Day Adoption Event

  Los Angeles Animal Services is offering free adoptions to people who have been vaccinated and are able to present a vaccination card.
• 
  2021-03-29

  Her pet chickens were a source of emotional support during the pandemic. Then, the predators came.

  Though research in this area is often qualitative and findings have at times been disputed, studies suggest that interacting and forming bonds with animals, such as dogs, might have a positive effect on a person’s well-being. During the past year, in particular, many people have reported that pets played an important role in helping them cope with the physical and psychological tolls of pandemic life. Animals provide companionship and can offer unconditional affection, which people don’t always get from other humans, said Lori Kogan, chair of the Human-Animal Interaction Section of the American Psychological Association and a professor at Colorado State University. Owning pets can also help people maintain a schedule and feel a sense of responsibility, Kogan said. Although existing research has largely focused on more traditional pets, she said, “raising chickens can provide an incredible amount of emotional support.” Plus: “Chickens have their own little personalities. They’re very funny. They’re very cute.” For Kelly Rutkowski, 38, of Ashland, Va., her chickens are her “therapy.” “Just going out with them and just caring for them, interacting with them, it makes me happy,” said Rutkowski, founder of the Adopt a Bird Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of adoptable birds in animal shelters and rescues nationwide. In addition to hens, Rutkowski also keeps a “bachelor flock” of roosters. “I know we’re missing out on being able to go out and do things and stuff, but being with the chickens is just an experience which makes it easier,” she said. “I’d say they’re just as fulfilling as a dog or cat.”
• 
  2021-02-22

  Leaping lizards! Reptiles in-demand pets during pandemic

  Can't find a puppy since the pandemic began? You're not alone - and that's left East Coast residents desperate for companionship looking at new avenues. One of the most popular options? According to Google Trends, Atlantic Canadians are all about lizards.
• 
  2021-08-12

  Charleston Animal Society working to get exotic pets adopted as shelters hit breaking point

  NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Thousands of animals across South Carolina are in need of adoption including some more exotic options you may not think about taking home with you at the Charleston Animal Society. “Right now, we have a bearded dragon which is a very cool lizard and they have special needs, special diet as well as two bunnies, and two guinea pigs, so that’s a lot of animals that are extra care at the Charleston Animal Society as well as needing homes,” said Kay Hyman who is the director of community engagement at Charleston Animal Society
• 
  2021-03-10

  Pandemic downturn leads to animal abuse crisis in Kazakhstan

  Kazakhstan is facing a multitude of problems, including a weak currency, dependence on fluctuating oil prices, a closed political system and dire human rights. Amid all of this, the fate of its abused pets may seem trivial. However, passionate activists are rising up to take a stand for animal rights. As the Central Asian state’s socio-economic conditions have worsened over the past year due to the pandemic, more pet owners have been abandoning their animals or committing violence against them. And just as animal shelters are more needed than ever, they’re grappling with an influx of animals, a lack of funding and a legislative vacuum on animal rights.
• 
  2020-09-01

  Sahrawi refugees in COVID-19 lockdown hit by livestock epidemic

  Refugees from Western Sahara in camps in Algeria’s Tindouf province lose animals to livestock epidemic, while coronavirus restrictions wipe out other means of income.
• 
  2021-01-25

  Why camels are worrying coronavirus hunters

  In northern Kenya, researchers are working to prevent a dangerous coronavirus – Mers – from jumping from camels to humans again. But climate change is making their job more difficult. I It’s thought that Covid-19 originated in animals before jumping to humans. Now experts are warning that the chances are the next pandemic will, too. Seventy-five percent of the newly emerging diseases currently affecting people originate in animals, according to Predict, a US government-funded collaboration by infectious disease experts across the globe. Already, Predict scientists have identified 1,200 new zoonotic, or animal-borne, diseases. But scientists estimate there are some 700,000 more zoonotic diseases we don’t even know about yet. ... “That infection” is Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers), a novel coronavirus that so far has proven to be at least 10 times more deadly than Covid-19. It was discovered in Saudi Arabia in 2012. By 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) had identified “1,761 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with Mers-CoV, including at least 629 related deaths”. Later that year, an outbreak at a hospital raised the alarm that it’s not just camel herders who are susceptible to the disease, but anyone at all. But while camels can be carriers, the Mers threat to humans is mostly man-made. As human-induced climate change makes droughts more frequent, prolonged, and severe, herders have had to abandon cows and other livestock for camels because only they can survive weeks without water. The result is a growing number of camels in close contact with humans – the perfect conditions for the spread of a deadly disease. Mers causes the same sorts of respiratory system complications as Covid-19, including pneumonia. Symptoms often start with nasal congestion, a cough, chest pains, or difficulty breathing. In the worst cases, it may cause fibrosis – irreversible scarring – in the lungs. This can be deadly. More than one-third of all humans known to have contracted Mers have died from it, according to the WHO. Once it jumps from animals to humans, a Mers outbreak could grow rapidly. Saudi Arabia alone saw 15 people infected in December 2019 and January 2020 – three of whom were hospital workers infected by their patients. “The fact that RNA viruses such as coronaviruses mutate means you never know what could happen with that particular virus,” says Zimmerman.
• 
  2021-05-22

  Meet Grover, a golden retriever bringing calm to Alaskans anxious about their COVID-19 vaccination

  Grover and his owner, Karen Loeffler, are with the group NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines, which has teams that respond to crises and anywhere that people have stress and anxiety. Loeffler, the former United States attorney for the District of Alaska, regularly brings Grover to court to calm people when they are testifying in a trial or grand jury. The Anchorage OEM connected Alicia with Loeffler’s group, and Lillian sat with Grover on the floor of the Alaska Airlines Center for an hour, petting him, brushing his fur and giving him treats until she was calm enough to get the shot. A majority of children exhibit needle fear, along with up to 20-30% of young adults, according to a pre-pandemic meta-analysis. The 2018 study noted that 1 in 6 health care workers avoided the influenza vaccine because of a fear of needles, and the authors encouraged further study of approaches that could alleviate fear during injections.
• 
  2020-07-22

  Chile wants Covid-19 sniffer dogs to help reopen public spaces

  Police dogs in Chile are being trained to sniff out Covid-19 in humans, with hopes that they will facilitate the reopening of busy public spaces including malls, sports centers, bus terminals and airports this fall. The so-called "bio-detector" dogs are expected to complete training by mid-September and will be deployed to places with high concentrations of people, according to the Chilean police.
• 
  2021-05-26

  Covid: Russia starts vaccinating animals

  Russia has started vaccinating animals against coronavirus, officials say. In March, Russia announced it had registered what it said was the world's first animal-specific jab. Several regions have now started vaccinations at veterinary clinics, Russia's veterinary watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, told local media. Interest has been shown in the Carnivak-Cov vaccine by the EU, Argentina South Korea and Japan, the agency said. While scientists say there is currently no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading the disease to humans, infections have been confirmed in various species worldwide. These include dogs, cats, apes and mink.
• 
  2020-04-30

  Greece: Coronavirus threatens fate of abandoned dogs

  Athens, Greece – As a nationwide lockdown enters its second month in Greece, animal rescue groups and shelters have become overwhelmed with the number of strays piling up in their facilities. Although dog adoption in central Athens and other urban city centres continues, as some seek companionship in the form of pets during the lockdown, international dog adoption from Greece to countries across Europe and the US has come to a standstill. A lack of resources means that shelters have been forced to stop taking in new strays, leading to more dogs on the street. It also means more dogs continuing to breed in the wild, which again increases the number of strays. Even before the coronavirus pandemic changed the nature of dog adoption in Greece, more dogs were being abandoned because people could no longer afford them and also due to a hunting culture.
• 
  2021-07-28

  Pets struggling to adapt as owners head back to the office

  VANCOUVER -- Dog trainers and animal behaviourists are being flooded with calls from people seeking advice because their pets are having a hard time adjusting to their absence. Pet adoption rates soared during the pandemic, as people spent more time at home and found they enjoyed the company of a furry companion. Now that people are returning to the office – even those back for just a couple of hours a week – have noticed their dogs and cats appearing stressed.
• 
  2020-10-26

  Ontario dog first in Canada to test positive for COVID-19, but researcher says there are likely more

  An Ontario dog living with four human COVID-19 patients is the first dog in Canada to test positive for the virus. But researchers say the discovery doesn't mean pet owners need to worry. The animal is from the Niagara Region and lived in a home where four out of six people had the virus, according to Dr. Scott Weese, chief of infection control at the University of Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College. "At last check, both dogs were fine, everyone in household sounds like they're doing well," he said. Weese described COVID-19 as a "human virus." There is some risk of animal-to-human transmission when it comes to mink, and experiments have shown infected cats can pass the virus to other cats, but that has not been shown in dogs, he said. "If your dogs has COVID or is infected with this virus, it got it from you or someone else in the household."
• 
  2021-02-10

  Seoul offers COVID-19 tests for pet dogs and cats

  Efforts are underway in Seoul to reduce the spread of COVID-19 among the pet population. The South Korean capital is offering free testing for cats and dogs exposed to carriers of the disease. The campaign to test and isolate pets comes just weeks after a kitten in Seoul became South Korea's first confirmed case of an animal with COVID-19.
• 
  2021-04-23

  Brazil's pet market benefits from COVID-19

  Not everyone is losing out from the pandemic. Some businesses are reaping big profits due to rising demand. The pet market has exploded in the last year as people got animals to fight loneliness.
• 
  2021-05-15

  South Africa Trains Dogs to Detect COVID-19 at Airports

  In South Africa, a private security company that deploys dogs to sniff out illegal drugs and explosives at airports now is teaching the canine corps to detect COVID-19. Romain Chanson checks out the situation for VOA in this report from Johannesburg, narrated by VOA’s Carol Guensburg.
• 
  2021-07-01

  Pets can catch Covid from owners, study suggests

  Swabs were taken from 310 pets in 196 households where a human infection had been detected. Six cats and seven dogs returned a positive PCR result, while 54 animals tested positive for virus antibodies. "If you have Covid, you should avoid contact with your cat or dog, just as you would do with other people," Dr Els Broens, from Utrecht University, said. The researchers say the most likely route of virus transmission is from human to animal, rather than the other way round. "We can't say there is a 0% risk of owners catching Covid from their pets," Veterinary Microbiological Diagnostic Centre Dr Broens said. "At the moment, the pandemic is still being driven by human-to-human infections, so we just wouldn't detect it."
• 
  2021-05-05

  Pets Are Safe From Covid, But Are Zoo and Street Animals? Here's What Experts Have to Say

  After eight Asiatic lions tested positive for coronavirus at the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad, making it the first case of animals contracting COVID-19 in India, questions have been raised again about the spread of the virus among animals.
• 
  2020-04-07

  Bronx Zoo Tiger Is Sick With the Coronavirus

  A tiger at the Bronx Zoo has been infected with the coronavirus, in what is believed to be a case of what one official called “human-to-cat transmission.” “There is no evidence that other animals in other areas of the zoo are showing symptoms,” the Agriculture Department said. A pet cat in Belgium recently tested positive for the coronavirus, but the American Veterinary Medical Association said that not enough was known to change the current view that neither cats nor dogs appear to be able to pass the virus to people. The World Organisation for Animal Health says that there is no evidence that cats or dogs spread the disease to humans, but that anyone who is sick should take precautions in contact with their animals as they would with people.
• 
  2020-10-27

  New survey suggests human-animal bond stronger than ever amidst pandemic, lead-up to U.S. election

  - As people navigate feelings of uncertainty due to the current global pandemic and U.S. election on November 3rd, one thing is clear: pets are playing a more important role in people's lives than ever before. In May, Banfield Pet Hospital released a survey looking at the impact of people quarantining at home with their pets. Today, the practice unveiled a follow-up survey that suggests the human-animal bond is growing even stronger and a shared love of pets can bring people together.
• 
  2020-08-26

  Survey Finds Dog Owners Are Exercising More, Enjoying Working From Home During the Pandemic

  According to Gallant’s survey, more than 68% of pet parents have spent more time with their pets than with people during the pandemic. An even higher number — 83% of pet parents — said they would continue to work from home after the pandemic. Finding a "fur"ever friend has been an unexpected silver lining during this challenging time. Gallant’s survey found that of the people who adopted since the pandemic began, more than 79% originally didn’t plan to adopt. More time at home means more walks around the neighborhood, too. About 40% of dog owners reported that they are getting more than 5,000 steps in every day compared to 21% of non-dog owners. "It’s not only safe to keep pets in the home, but also beneficial, as they can serve as a source of comfort during a crisis," Julie Castle, the CEO of Best Friends Animal Society, told PEOPLE back in March. "The companionship of pets has been shown to reduce stress and lower anxiety, helping people to feel calmer and more secure when the news from the outside world is distressing."
• 
  2021-08-06

  Covid Gardening Story and Okra Recipe

  I chose to focus on my garden and our chickens that we began right before the pandemic hit. I never realized how lucky I was to live in a rural environment until Spring 2020, when living in the country meant having a bit more freedom than in the city. Our garden and chickens provided us with foods that sometimes were out of stock in our small, local store. However, we also faced other things in our community that made the psychological aspects of the pandemic really hard, such as living with those who deny the reality of the disease and mitigation efforts that people like my husband promoted, as an ER physician. I suppose this story is a bit of a love letter to our little property out in the country, despite the differences in values that we have with our town.
• 
  2021-08-06

  Death of a Beloved Pet

  This item is an update to item 45606 - "Diminished Quality of Veterinary Care During the Pandemic." My darling, beloved dog, Evie, passed away Sunday, August 1st, 2021. My family's hearts and mine are broken. Evie was with us for 10 amazing years. We got her the week my husband and I moved into our first home (we were unmarried at the time). She was a part of the marriage proposal. My husband literally said, "Evie and I would like to know if you would marry us." She was in our engagement photos. When I was pregnant and on bed rest for 6 months, she laid with me, her head on my belly. When our daughter was born and we came home from the hospital, she leapt the baby gate to come meet her and check on me (the only time she ever leapt that gate). During the pandemic, she was always at our sides from every Zoom meeting, for every missed holiday, for every tear of frustration and loneliness. We were blessed to have that extra time with her. When she was diagnosed with cancer, we were terrified we would lose her, but she made it through. Not this time. On July 11th, I noticed she seemed a little underweight. That night she started having diarrhoea. None of the usual remedies would stop it. I called the vet on the 13th. Due to the pandemic, they couldn't see her until the 17th. At that point that did a fecal and blood work and gave us metrinidozole for the diarrhea. That helped initially, but success was short lived. More blood work was needed, which was done a few days later. It took nearly a week to get results. They narrowed the problem down to the small intestine, but were not entirely sure what was causing it. They suggested perhaps it was IBS and all we had to do was find a food she could digest better. Meanwhile, her health continued to decline. The evening of July 31st, Evie looked terrible. I took her to the emergency vet the following morning. I had to call around because the wait times were hours long to be seen. I got her into one relatively close to our house, but due to the pandemic I was not allowed in. The vet who I never got to even see wanted to keep Evie over night, rerun a bunch of tests, and charge us $2,660. I had a feeling she would not make it through all that, so we settled on giving her IV fluids and antiemetics and sending her home with me. I intended to contact the vet immediately monday morning, but that was not to be. As soon as we got home from the emergency vet, Evie could no longer walk or hold her head up. I sat with her all day. After dinner, I picked her up and carried her over to the couch where we always snuggled. We had just laid down together, she took 3 deep shuttering breaths, and stopped breathing. Her eyes were shaking like she was having a seizure, but her body was still. Her heart was pounding, then it slowed, and two minutes later it stopped. My baby was gone. I will always wonder if it had not been the pandemic if we could have identified the problem faster. I will never know. Life will never be the same.
• 
  2021-07-30

  Mask up!

  My cousins shared this adorable picture of her masked dog on social media. Although masks are a thing of the past here in Arizona, they are still very much used in Los Angeles. People here in Arizona are dreading the idea of having to put them back on and in Los Angeles people are almost glad that they never really let them go.
• 
  2020-04-09

  'It has become our sanctuary': The calming power of nature in a pandemic

  Many have turned to nature to combat the stresses and concerns of the pandemic. This collection of photographs from around the world illustrates the beauty of nature, the changes to the environment during the pandemic, and the human appreciation of the natural world.
• 
  2018-02

  The Power of Pets: Health Benefits of Human-Animal Interactions

  This story shares how pets help people with their mental health in a variety of ways. Pets were vital in helping people with their mental and physical health during the pandemic. This article, while written pre-pandemic, shows the different ways in which pets are beneficial.
• 
  2021-07-24

  Janine Brown. Oral History, July 24, 2021

  In this two-part interview, Ashley Tibollo interviews Janine Brown on how her life was impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. In the first part of the interview, Brown discusses how her last year of college was impacted and about her transition to remote teaching. She discusses her fears of the Delta variant, what sources she uses to get her information and what her feelings are regarding government action. She also discusses family life and how she was affected by the quarantine. She ends this part with her hopes for the future. In the second part of this interview, Brown discusses her decision to move in with her boyfriend right before quarantine and what it was life navigating a new relationship amidst a pandemic. She also discusses her pets and how their moods changed as her life changed. She discusses the difficulties of house hunting and the ways that the pandemic has affected the market.
• 
  2020-06-18

  Why COVID-19 will end up harming the environment

  This article warns that COVID will only offer a brief respite from environmental problems like air pollution. Post-COVID, we may see even worse pollution and accelerated climate change.
• 
  2020-07-19

  14 Working from Home Memes That Are Hilariously Accurate

  Humor is one of the best ways to deal with stressful situations, such as working from home. This collection of memes take a humorous look at the teleworking lifestyle.
• 
  2021-07-23

  Canine classmates

  I was grateful to be able to do my martial arts classes through Zoom. My dogs, though, didn’t know what to make of it. Daisy, my young lab mix, consistently tried to participate in the classes. She seemed to love the group dynamic, even though most of it was on screen. Zoey, my older dog, needed to be in the room with me and often made appearances on screen. During such a trying time, these small moments brought a lot of joy.
• 
  2018

  Work from home, with some help of course

  Have work to do? Not on Romeo's watch!! While we have been working and learning from home, Romeo loves to sit on our laps in front of the computer and help us with our work. The video shows what he does nearly every time someone in the house is typing on a keyboard.
• 2020

  Humorous Memes about Corona [REVIEW - missing media]

  During quarantine I collected many humorous memes about staying at home and the problems that brought. All sorts of subjects were covered: cooking, getting along with your spouse/roommates, homeschooling the kids, learning to bake bread, being stuck at home, sanitizing, facemasks, people hoarding toilet paper, boredom, effects of isolation, etc. Here are a few of those memes.
• 
  2020

  Humorous Corona Memes

  During quarantine I collected many humorous memes about staying at home and the problems that brought. All sorts of subjects were covered: cooking, getting along with your spouse/roommates, homeschooling the kids, learning to bake bread, being stuck at home, sanitizing, facemasks, people hoarding toilet paper, boredom, effects of isolation, etc. Here are a few of those memes.
• 
  2020-07

  Diminished Quality of Veterinary Care During the Pandemic

  Our pets are a part of our family. So when their health is in jeopardy, it affects us all greatly. Early on in the pandemic, we had an emergency with our lovebird, Kermit. Our larger bird, an African Grey named Greycee, landed on top of Kermit's cage. Kermie proceeded to bite her toe through the cage bars, and Greycee bit back. Luckily we heard the scuffle and intervened immediately, but Greycee had created quite the puncture wound on Kermit's upper beak/nares. Normally these two are best buddies, so this was a suprising freak incident. I cleaned off Kermit's beak, but it looked bad and her breathing was shallow and rapid. Birds in respiratory distress can die rapidly. I rushed her to the emergency vet who told me that there was a 4 hour wait to be seen. I told them that Kermit wouldn't last 4 hours, so they agreed to see her immediately (for an additional fee of course) but I had to wait in the car. My already stressed and injured baby had to go into a strange place with strange people without her mom because of Covid. They stabalized her and sent her home for the night. I feared she wouldn't make it until the morning. Luckily, she pulled through the night. I called our vet immediately the next morning. It took several tries. Since you also had to wait in the car while there, and all conversations with the vet were over the phone, their phone lines were constantly busy. I finally got through, but they told me that despite the gravity of her condition there was no way they could get her in that day. Under normal circumstances they could, but with the new covid protocols every minute of every day was totally overbooked. I tried the emergency vet again and they had a 6 hour wait. You had to wait on site in your car too, which I couldn't do with my 4 year old daughter. Since Kermit is a bird, she cannot just go to any vet. There are only 2 avian vets in my area. I took a chance and called the other one and explained the situation. They were able to squeeze us in. Again I had to wait in the car and hand my baby off. She ended up staying the night. The blood from her wound had entered her lungs causing her breathing issues. She had recovered quite a bit by the next day, and the vet even allowed me in with social distancing and masks in order to show me how I needed to hand feed her for the next two weeks until her beak healed. At least because of the pandemic I was working from home at the time, so I could care for and monitor Kermit all day. Within a week she was back to her normal self. In the fall, our Dog Evie went to the vet because a suspicious lump had grown on her toe. Evie is absolutely terrified of the vet. She is also deaf and has limited vision, so it is harder to comfort her. She needs our touch and our smell for reassurance. Of course, jsut as with Kermit, we could not go in with her. The vet techs had to carry her in because she was shaking so badly in fear. She needed to be sedated to do the biopsy of the lump. The report came back positive for cancer. She had to go back in again to have the whole toe removed as the biopsy had not gotten it all. This time she had to stay nearly all day and be pumped with anxiety meds to keep her asleep until the procedure. It was thankfully successful, but she also needed a follow up visit, so more meds. The whole experience was traumatizing for both our animals and us. What's even worse is people were treated the same way.
• 
  2021-01-16

  12.6 million households have welcomed new 'pandemic pets' into the home

  This story from Good Morning America talks about how 12.6 million households got new pets during the pandemic. Now some of those pets are not used to being alone. An expert trainer, Eric Ita, gives tips for pups with separation anxiety and other advice for dog owners.
• 
  2020-04-19

  The call has been answered

  The article discusses the surge of pet adoptions from shelters during the pandemic.
• 
  2021-07-03

  A Dog's Tale

  This is Hannah aka Hannah Banana. My husband and I adopted her May 4, 2013 from a rescue in St. Catherine's, ON. We live just over the border in Buffalo, NY. Hannah is a purebred Sheltie (Shetland Sheepdog), but purebred gone wrong. She is what is called a double merle. That means an irresponsible breeder bred two merle coated dogs together, which results in 25% of the litter being born deaf, primarily white in color, and with eye problems or missing eyes altogether. Hannah was approximately 4 years old at the time. The previous owners who surrendered her had had her for 2 years. They had adopted her from a shelter that had picked her up as a stray. Hannah was our 2nd double merle (we also have an Aussie with the same problem), so we were used to the unique problems associated with deaf and vision impaired dogs, but Hannah came with many more from a history of abuse and neglect. One of her biggest issues was that she was absolutely terrified of people, particularly men, and she hated small children. We worked with a trainer, we did agility twice a week, and did barn hunt once a week. She broke out of her shell a lot, but did not lose her fear of people. In 2016 my husband and I had our first and only child, Charlotte. Hannah was very aggressive towards her. She would bark and snap at her. We had to keep her separated a lot, and we worried about what the future would bring. She got a bit better when Charlotte could walk, but not to a comfort level. Once Charlotte was about 3, Hannah accepted that she was a human in the house but wanted nothing to do with her. She didn't really want to have much to do with any of us or our other dog except for at agility class. She wouldn't play with us and only tolerated petting for a short while. Fast forward to 2020. While COVID-19 was cause fear, anxiety, and depression in people, for Hannah it was just what she needed. After a few months, she became a whole new dog. Having all three of her humans home 24/7 seemed to alleviate a lot of her fears and anxieties. She completely bonded with Charlotte. She actually plays with her and snuggles with her and sleeps in her bed. Who knew this 12-year-old dog just needed constant companionship to heal her old wounds. Luckily, my career path changed during the pandemic (I am going back to school to pursue a PhD) and so I will continue to be home a lot of the time. While COVID did bring devastation to people across the world, for one little dog it was just the medicine she needed.
• 
  2020-04-10

  Thanks to Sheltering in Place, Animal Shelters Are Empty

  This article discusses the animal adoption trend in the United States during the pandemic. Some shelters find themselves completely empty, which is a dream come true for animal lovers. On the flip side, there are families in crisis, particularly in large cities, that have been forced to give up their pets. Fortunately, with so many foster and adoptive families on waiting lists, these pets won't be going to shelters for any length of time.
• 
  2020-09-02

  Pandemic Pets: Reader's Stories. The Seattle Times

  In this heart-warming article. Readers share pictures of and blurbs about the pets they adopted during the pandemic. Dr. Fauci the cat with a bow tie is particularly apropos.
• 
  2020-06-26

  From Noise to Silence

  The Pandemic impacted everyone in different ways. Everyone's life changed in one way or another. For me, my life went from hustling and bustling to peace, silence, and alone time. Before the Pandemic, my daily routine was driving 45 minutes to work daily, frequent trips to Mexico, and I was constantly on the move. A full-time student, and part-time tutor, I was continually helping students and finding study time at my local Community College. Also, I would frequent local Starbucks often to work on my reading and writing assignments. However, when the Pandemic hit, everything changed for me. Now, instead of driving to work daily and visiting Mexico, I found myself working online, studying in my room, and not seeing anyone face to face except for immediate relatives. For the majority of the Pandemic, I did not go anywhere as I previously did. In other words, the hustling and bustling of the highway now turned into silence, the continued camaraderie between students and cow-workers now turned into silence, and just like that, my life altered to a new dimension of silence like have never experienced.
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  2020-04-09

  How pets help people cope during a pandemic

  This article talks about the numerous health benefits that scientific studies have proven we get from pet ownership. During the pandemic, those health benefits are more important than ever. Given that there is no evidence that people can get COVID from their animal companions, interacting with your pet is a fun, easy, and safe way to stay healthy and happy during the pandemic.
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  2020-11-24

  Human–dog relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic

  A study done in Israel looks at the relationship between humans and dogs during the pandemic. The study finds that, like in the United States, there was a significant increase in dog adoptions in Israel during the pandemic. They also found a direct correlation between the mental health of the owner and the perceived quality of the life of the dog.
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  2021-05-31

  No, People Are Not Returning Pandemic Dogs in Droves

  This article explains that we should not be alarmed by the headlines that state that pandemic pets are returning to shelters as their owners return to work. The numbers just don't support that supposition. While abandonment rates are on the rise, they appear to simply be returning to pre-covid rates.
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  2020-07-16

  How Have Pet Birds Been Affected by Covid-19?

  Northern Parrots, a bird blog and store in the UK, writes that pet owners are worried that their feathered babies could contract COVID-19. All the evidence shows that is highly unlikely. The blog post also mentions that birds are also affected by lockdown and quarantine in both positive and negative ways. One positive is that their owners are spending more time at home. On the flip side, favorite friends and visitors aren't coming to visit, and sometimes it is hard to find the foods they want. The article mentions Madeira cake, but in my personal experience it was often difficult to find fresh organic produce for awhile. The article goes on to talk about parrot conservation during the pandemic, particularly in Central America. There are fears that people out of work may turn to poaching as a resource for quick cash. Also a beloved ornithologist, Luis Fernando Díaz Chávez, who was important to Paso Pacifico's conservation efforts passed away from COVID-19.
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  2020-03-15

  COVID-19 And Pet Birds

  As a parrot owner, I was initially concerned at the start of the pandemic that the virus could be transferred to my avian companions. While I know that viruses are often species-specific, mutations can allow them to jump species. Birds have incredibly delicate respiratory systems, so a respiratory illness in a bird is often deadly. This article from bird food producer Lafaeber explains why caution is warranted by not panic. It is now more than a year since this article has been written, and I am no longer concerned about my parrots catching COVID-19. I belong to many bird groups on social media and have yet to hear of a pet bird who caught the disease.
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  2021-05-31

  Pandemic pets: Pet shops seeing more abandoned reptiles

  Pet shops in Charlotte, NC report that alongside the increased demand for exotic pets, there has been an uptick in animal abandonment as well. The pet shop in this article reported that the number of rescue calls they received doubled during the pandemic. Exotic animals abandoned outside raise environmental concerns. If some manage to survive the winter, they could pose a threat to native wildlife.
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  2021-02-02

  Exotic Pets and Reptile Gain Popularity in Australia

  According to the article, Australia is experiencing an increase in exotic pet popularity during the pandemic. With people having more time and resources, the demand for pets, in general, is on the rise. The fear of reptiles exhibited by Generation X is not there in younger generations, so demand for these cool and unusual creatures is on the rise.