Covid Dogs Adopted, then Abandoned: How to be successful new dog owner

Record numbers of people adopted dogs, many for the first time, during The Pandemic.

Now, Pandemic Pets are being surrendered, in record numbers, to shelters. A lot of people were surprised to find out how much responsibility and expense is involved in owning a pet.

As lockdowns begin to draw to a close, many of us are preparing to return to the office. A big part of this will include getting rid of all the stuff we collected to make the long hours at home more bearable.

Let’s see, **checklist**: let’s get rid of these old frozen food containers, don’t need all these boardgames, much too much junk food here – let’s clear that out – get rid of that dog, and…

Did I surprise you? I’m just going with what I heard in the news. A recent article in the New York Post (linked below) gives the complete details. One shelter, quoted in the article, says it all:

“The number of dogs and cats returned to the shelter has doubled over the last few months — and it’s only expected to get worse.”
The New York Post

My video tells the whole story, as it appeared in the Post:

Why People Abandon Pandemic Pets

I blame a lack of preparation for people getting in over their heads with a new pet. Contrary to what The Beatles say, love is not all you need.

It’s all too easy to get so distracted by how cute a certain breed is, and forget everything that goes with it, like training them, paying for their upkeep, demands on your attention, cleaning up after them – Just to name a few of the constant duties of pet ownership.

According to Shelter Animals Count, dogs were entering shelters at increasing numbers for the past several years, taking a nose-dive in 2020. If the New York Post is correct, however, the numbers in 2021 will, sadly, dominate the chart.

How to Prevent Pet Abandonment

Greyhound adoption agencies are exceptionally forthcoming with prospective adopters, even going as far as requiring reading (Adopting the Racing Greyhound has always been my personal favorite). They also ask forthright questions about whether the prospect owns or rents, if they have stairs, and – most importantly of all – what arrangements they plan to care for the dog, if they are going to be absent from the home to go to work.

The below infographic gives practical ideas for preparing a new dog owner for a real happily-ever-after with his new dog :

To get an idea of the costs involved in owning a retired racing greyhound, read this article. Some US adoption groups’ fees are fluctuating right now, due to a short supply of dogs, but the rest of the figures are the same.

You can help spread awareness of this problem by sharing this article on every social media group you can. If more people know, these dogs and cats will have a better chance of moving on to a good home…. and staying there.

Show your passion for greyhounds with a nice, cool T-shirt for the warm summer weather over at the Greyhound Homecare Store.