Bring Happiness to Your Home By Adopting a Furry Best Friend, and Hurry As Shelters Clear Out!

By: Amanda Bengard

Empty shelters are pictured around the world, giving us all a reason to stay positive. Credit: Fox 29 News Philadelphia

It seems like everyone is struggling during this time of quarantine. Stuck in the house is not the ideal way we pictured spending the months in full bloom. 

Clinging to positivity can be a challenge when everyday looks the same and the feeling of helplessness is overwhelming. 

There are many little ways to remain helpful, including donating, cheering at 7pm for our healthcare workers, and hand drawing rainbows. 

One way to support your community is to foster and adopt shelter animals while you remain home. It didn’t take a long time in isolation for my family to propose the idea of fostering a puppy. 

We visited our local shelter in Mid-March and left with something furry, joyful and oblivious to all the COVID stress. Our new housemate is a six-year-old Bullboxer Pit named Butterscotch and a quick distraction from the world’s unfortunate state. 

While social calendars are being wiped clear and work has become remote, many families around the country are taking on the otherwise too big of a responsibility ― that is a house pet. 

Shelters are nearly empty after The Humane Society posted on Facebook that they were in urgent need of people to adopt and foster due to the possibility of not having enough healthy staff members. 

Since then, there has been an outpour of support for shelter animals and the desire to care for them. Petfinder.com received a 122 percent increase in online traffic between the months of March and April. Over 1,500 people have completed online foster applications for the ASPCA’s New York City and Los Angeles programs. 

Inspiring pictures have been released from several cleared out adoption centers, as workers cheer while showing off empty cage after empty cage. Animal shelters across the country, from New York to New Mexico, are reporting a boom in pet adoption, giving animal-loving Americans a feel good story to be thankful for. 

Our ability to connect with one another has been abruptly cut off, which is why it makes sense that so many of us are craving tangible companionship. 

In our home, Butterscotch has provided many laughs with her silly antics, an excuse to walk around the neighborhood, and endless amounts of love. Having a pet around the house has also helped us stick to a productive routine. 

Walking the dog early in the morning has been a great way to get out of bed and enjoy a peaceful moment before the start of the day. Also, when it’s time to relax, I get to receive warm cuddles from my new and loyal best friend. 

After a month of fostering, we decided to make Butterscotch a permanent part of our family by adopting her. Even if the only positive thing to come from this pandemic is my new fur baby that I can’t imagine my life without, then it’s all okay.