Pooches on the move
On the packing list for this year: masks, sanitizer, a very good boy
In mid-March, three days after canceling their Aprilwedding in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, because of the pandemic, Dana Bakich andDaniel Snyder consoled themselves by bringing home a new puppy: a curly-haired, black-andwhite Labradoodle chosen for his sweet disposition and little-to-no likelihood of shedding. Three months later, with the pandemic raging on and hoping to live closer to their families, the couple packed up their home in Los Angeles and drove eastward toward the Atlanta suburbs withMalo — named for the French port city of Saint-Malo, where his “parents” got engaged— in tow.
Dog lovers are quick to point out that dogs make any situation better, but Bakich learned that even with a canine co-pilot, no road trip is fully disasterproof— especially when it begins in a 2006Honda Civic stick shift with 200,000 miles on it.
“OnDay 2, we were driving through Death
Valley and the air conditioner stoppedworking,” said Bakich, 31, the founder of Positive Equation, a social media consultancy for nonprofits, and HerDesk, a soon-to-launch line of desks. “Itwas 108 degrees andMalo hadn’t been groomed yet.”
The couple purchased trash bags froma local drugstore and filled them with ice, then cushioned them aroundMalo in the front seat.
“He slept; hewas totally fine,” Bakich said. “But the secondwe got to Scottsdale we bought a new car.”
Beyond the parade of snouts on social media, there is plenty to suggest that the “corona-puppy” surge— for many, fueled by the quest to find joy or purpose while stuck at home— is real. Breeders’ waitlists stretch into 2022. Animal nonprofits report dramatic increases in adoptions and fosters this year. But when their humans want to jet off on vacation for theweekend, pets are not staying at home with house sitters: For most people, neither jetting off for theweekend, nor even house sitters, are possibilities right now. Instead, these pups are curling up in the back seat— or, like Malo, snuggling up in the front seat— and enjoying the ride.
When Lanto Griffin, 32, andMaya Brown, 28, of Jacksonville Beach, Florida, suddenly found their careers on pause this spring, Troy, their new shar-pei-lab rescue, helped them weather the downswing. (Research suggests that dogs can affect one’s physical and emotionalwellbeing, fromcardiovascular health to happiness.) Brown lost her job as an attorney and Griffin, a professional golfer, was idle when the PGA Tour temporarily suspended its season.
“When you’re used to being on the road almost everyweek and all of a sudden you’re home for three months, Troy helped getmy mind off everything thatwas going on,” Griffin said.
Golf has resumed and, although dogs are not allowed at tournaments, Troy has driven with the couple around the EasternUnited States, with stops in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; Columbus, Ohio; and elsewhere. Fromhis perch in back, he has routinely
“upgraded” himself, worming between the front seats.
Troy andMalowere hardly the only pups relishing life on the road this summer; the travel industry abounds with data showing that dogs are on themove. BringFido, awebsite and app that lists dog-friendly hotels, restaurants and activities around theworld, has seen 27% more user sign-ups over last summer. The “Allows Pets” filterwas the second-most searched for amenity (after “Pool”) on Airbnb.
In August, the proportion of pet-to-human passengers flying on JSX, a low-cost hop-on jet service, was more than double January’s figure. VistaJet, a private aviation company, is seeing a 68% increase in year-over-year dogs on board. FromMemorialDay weekend through August, the 100,0000 campsites listed on Campspot had more than 80,000 reservations with pets— about 40% more than last year.
In July, as part of its COVID reopening, Ireland’sDromoland Castle beganwelcoming dogs for the first time in its 58-year history: An Instagram post featuring Callie, the managing director’s new springer spaniel, heralded the news.
Although Amtrak’s overall ridership dropped in March, the proportion of animal-to-human passengerswas about three times higher in June than itwas in June 2019. This fall, the rail company will expand its pet program— which allows dogs and cats of a certain size to ride in carriers under seats— to all weekday Acela trains.
Some airlines, meanwhile, have become temporarily stricter about pets. American Airlines suspended checked pets (versus pets that fit in the cabin) in lateMarch during the flurry of pandemic-related flight cancellations and late-breaking government restrictions. Delta Air Lines andUnited Airlines have enacted similar restrictions around cargo pets.
But because so many flights aren’t at capacity these days, carry-on pets are living large. When Angie Camus, 37, flew on Southwest Airlines from NewYork City to Atlanta for a vacation in July, there was plenty of room in the cabin forMarvel, her new Pomeranian-mix puppy, to stretch her little legs.
Camus, who lives inNew York, had a difficult February andMarch, even by 2020 standards, losing her father-in-lawand her 16year-old Border collie.
Camus and her husband quickly realized that, like everything, adopting a dog is harder during a pandemic. Most of their 20 applicationswere rejected or unanswered. When they found a shelter with puppies, their home inspectionwas conducted over Zoom and the adoptionwent through.
Two months later, after resolving to take some much needed time off with close friends— and deciding that a road tripwould involve too many bathroom breaks forMarvel— Camus and her husband found themselves sitting in a nearly empty LaGuardia Airport, tossing around a squeaky ball.
Marvel, for her part, was a travel pro, basking in a chorus of “oohs” and “ahhs” on the flight. On the weeklong vacation in Jasper, Georgia, shewalked and swam in the mountains and befriended goats at a local vineyard.
“Itwas beneficial to both of us mentally— itwas a time to have some fun and be outdoors and let loose a little,” Camus said. “She just loves being around her people and living life, no matter wherewe are.”