When the pandemic hit the United States in 2020, many Americans changed their daily lifestyle. Adjusting to at-home learning, working remotely, and being home more often than not led to changes in households. One trend that many have heard about was the increase in pet adoptions since 2020. This finding made sense, as more Americans were home and able to spend time with pets, and many sought the company of a furry friend. But was this finding actually true? Reports released by Cascadia Capital and ShelterWatch show otherwise.
Pet adoptions were down by 200,000 one year into the pandemic
According to Cascadia Capital's report "Pet Industry Overview: Fall 2022", which reviewed pet adoptions from January 2020 to September 2022, pet adoptions were down by 200,000 one year into the pandemic.
ShelterWatch also reported that the number of US pet adoptions in September 2022 was lower than in December 2019, pre-pandemic. And that although 2020 pet adoption rates were high, overall, the number of adoptions was still lower than the previous year and continued to decline until January 2021, when the number of pet adoptions stagnated.
