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Video: Demand for Pets Grew for 20 Years — Then COVID-19 Pushed It Even Higher

In some parts of the US, shelter dogs are hard to come by.

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Published

4 years ago

September 15, 2020

PETS+ Staff

The coronavirus has “accelerated … a 20-year surge in demand for pets,” and dogs in particular, says one expert.

Although shelters are still full in some parts of the U.S., in other areas, including New York, dogs are hard to come by, says Mark Cushing, CEO of the Animal Policy Group. He shared his thoughts in an interview with Yahoo Finance’s “On the Move.”

Pet adoption has spiked sharply amid the COVID-19 crisis, with some shelters seeing empty kennels for the first time, as PETS+ has reported.

When the pandemic ends and people aren’t home with their pets as much, there will likely be an increase in business for dog walkers and other pet professionals, said Cushing, author of Pet Nation: The Love Affair That Changed America.

And some people might look for additional animals to keep their current pets company, driving demand even higher.

Watch the video:

NASC Media Spotlight

At first it was just an idea: Animal supplements needed the same quality control that human-grade supplements receive. But that was enough to start a movement and an organization —the National Animal Supplement Council — that would be dedicated to establishing a comprehensive path forward for the animal supplements industry. In this Media Spotlight interview, NASC’s president, Bill Bookout, talks to PETS+ interviewer Chloe DiVita about the industry today: Where it’s headed, what’s the latest focus and why it’s vital to gain the involvement of independent pet product retailers.