EDITOR’S NOTE

First, the good: With the coronavirus pandemic restricting human interaction, pet ownership shot up in many parts of the world as people craved companionship.

In the US, dogs for adoption remain as scarce as toilet paper at the start of the pandemic. Foster Dogs, a New York-based non-profit agency, saw a more than 1,000% increase in foster applications in March last year.

In Japan, a 2020 survey conducted by the Japan Pet Food Association found a 15 percent increase in dog and cat ownership than the previous year. In fact, dogs are having it pretty darn good during these times. India has declared the feeding of street dogs, an essential service and when much of Europe was under total lockdown, one of the few permissible reasons to leave the house was to exercise your four-legged companion.

The story is repeated in Singapore with more people either adopting or fostering pets since the term ‘circuit breaker’ became part of our mother tongue. Similarly, Causes for Animals, Chained Dog Awareness In Singapore, Just For Paws, like other volunteer-run advocacy group, saw a spike in the number of people looking for dogs.

Now, the bad and the ugly: With the vaccine looking much like the light at the end of the tunnel, shelters and animal groups are getting worried. You don’t need a crystal ball to predict that there will be a wave of pet surrenders as lives return to normal, and the dreaded ‘quarantine’ word finds itself increasingly isolated.

Our pets have been there for us during this period of isolation. But what becomes of them when this is all over? Will we be there for them when life returns to normal?

Hope springs eternal, and while we can only hope for the best, it’s best steps be taken before the worst comes about.