Half of New Pet Owners in Colorado Regret Adopting During The Pandemic

I, personally, am a huge supporter of the 'Adopt, Don't Shop' movement and am always encouraging friends and family to visit local shelters to provide loving homes to pets in need. However, during the pandemic, it seems as though many in Colorado bit off more than they could chew— quite literally— because a recent study revealed that half of new pet owners in Colorado experience post-pandemic pet regret.

Innovet Pet recently polled 3,000 pet owners, according to a press release, who adopted (or purchased) an animal during the pandemic. Whatever this was due to; loneliness, a difficult lockdown, quarantine, or something else: Colorado needed comfort during 2020.

That study revealed that 42% of Coloradans "worry that they will not be able to care for their pet adequately as life returns back to normal, and they spend less time at home."

Not only have these dogs not been socialized adequately with others due to the pandemic, but many of these adoption decisions were made after seeing others' posts on social media: and you and I both know that it's never a good idea to make a rash decision based on Instagram (that's how I got bangs).

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Most of these pet owners polled didn't do their due diligence: they didn't research what owning a pet would be like, they didn't sit down and think about if they could truly handle the responsibility, and many of them weren't prepared for the late nights and extra financial strain.

Adopting a pet is a big responsibility, but take it from my family: when you're ready, it can be one of the most rewarding things you can do in your lifetime. That's the kicker, though. Make sure you aren't adopting because of FOMO, but you're adopting because you're truly ready to add a family member to your tribe...you won't be sorry.