opinion: pandemic pets bring comfort and companionship

by: allison hanes, montreal gazettewhen our pandemic puppy was born a year ago, we had no clue we’d be welcoming a furry new family member just a few weeks later.nor did we have any idea how inextricably the world and our lives would be altered at a sudden and turbulent moment of history.his birthday this week will forever be associated with change, both forced and deliberate, tumultuous and fortuitous. he arrived just as quebec started shutting down. he came home with us amid a sudden craze for pets fuelled by an unprecedented state of confinement.for better and for worse, the pandemic puppy phenomenon is one of the unexpected consequences of this year like no other. it’s a term many animal lovers hate. but it speaks to a generation of trusty companions who have lifted lonely hearts even as they have, in some cases, exposed the worst aspects of humanity’s commodification and mistreatment of other creatures.it’s important in celebrating the good pets have brought, to acknowledge the bad our desire for their company sometimes creates.***what the globe and mail later coined the “year of the dog” originated with so many people finding themselves stuck at home with so much time on their hands.as the first wave lockdown began, i read an article about how dogs, social animals by nature, were delighted to have their humans around. (less enthused were cats, who apparently miss their solitude). i also read that in the countries with the strictest confinement measures, citizens with dogs were still allowed out for walks.a light bulb went off. now was the perfect occasion to get that dog my kids had long begged for. was it rational? no. was the timing right? yes. would we ever have this window of opportunity again? little did we know.if the decision was hasty, there was no time to waste. we weren’t the only people having this epiphany.animal shelters saw a surge in adoption requests that emptied their facilities. competition was fierce for accredited breeders’ forthcoming litters. on kijiji and other online marketplaces, puppies and kittens were in hot demand and short supply.a veterinarian i consulted warned against buying a dog off the internet. but that’s where i inevitably ended up looking after i browsed the online profiles of prospective pets posted by rescue groups and found none suitable for homes with young children. (i’ve since learned that animatch and other organizations don’t necessarily advertise puppies and family-friendly dogs because so many interested candidates fill out applications beforehand and wait to be contacted).it could have gone very wrong. but when i found a breeder with a litter of golden retriever puppies, i was reassured that she seemed more interested in screening me than in taking my money. she answered all my questions and sent frequent videos of the growing pups. when we picked up our new furbaby, she sent him off with a blanket carrying the comforting scent of his siblings. a year later, we’re still in touch.we got lucky.some will surely judge me for my choices.the dark side of the pandemic-driven pet pandemonium is scams, price-gouging and fraud. unscrupulous puppy mill operators have been trying to make a quick buck at the expense of animal welfare. and dastardly thieves are reportedly dog-napping other people’s pets to cash in on an insatiable appetite that has not abated.the desire for a puppy may be well intentioned and genuine, but fulfilling it can lead to ugliness and greed. many rescue groups fear pandemic pets will get dumped on them when life after covid-19 goes back to normal.no doubt there will be some heartbreaking outcomes. but there are happy endings, too***

i know several people who have brought home new puppies this year — and have met countless others in the parks of the plateau or the walking trails of our new community. after all, dogs push us to engage with our neighbours and break our isolation from the safe distance of a two-metre leash.they force us out of the house multiple times a day, rain or shine, heat wave or deep freeze, to run, walk, exercise and enjoy nature. they provide affection in a world devoid of human contact when they nuzzle us for attention or keep our feet warm while they sleep. they shower us with love, loyalty, comfort and joy, bolstering both our physical and mental health.our beloved pandemic pups might not have entered our lives in other circumstances. but they are thankfully here to stay.ahanes@postmedia.comall our coronavirus-related news can always be found at montrealgazette.com/tag/coronavirus.sign up for our email newsletter dedicated to local covid-19 coverage at montrealgazette.com/coronavirusnews.help support our local journalism by subscribing to the montreal gazette here.

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