In a local animal shelter, a puppy awaits companionship and love. 

As COVID-19 forced many doors shut, the seclusion from the rest of the world has left many yearning for companionship. Besides human socialization, pets — especially cats and dogs — are the next best bet for some interaction.

Sophomore Angelo Bounthapanya adopted a French bulldog named Ghost two months ago from the website adoptapet.com. The adoption took place during stay at home orders, making the journey of adjustment even rockier for both Bounthapanya and Ghost. 

“[Ghost] was definitely very shaky when we first got him,” Bounthapanya said. “He was very scared, but he’s definitely warmed up and is always running around. He has a ton of energy.”

Having the companionship of a pet is proven to increase peoples’ happiness. According to The Independent, the close bond between the pet and owner can boost a person’s “feel-good” biochemicals, such as oxytocin and endorphins, reduce anxiety and depression and lower blood pressure — putting pet owners in a much happier and calmer state. 

Aragon’s Green Team, a subsection of Aragon Leadership’s Renaissance class that works to lessen the environmental impact of the community, hosted an event aimed towards promoting pet adoptions while simultaneously boosting students’ overall mental health. 

 “We decided to plan our November Friendsgiving event around pets in order to boost people’s mental health during these times being in quarantine, as well as to bring joy to them during the holidays,” said freshman Green Team Commissioner Pia Cho. “Another reason [was] to show gratitude for our furry friends and also encourage people to adopt.”

Bounthapanya explains his viewpoint on the topic of buying and adopting pets. 

7.6 million animals enter shelters annually. Due to an increase in workload in the fall and winter, more animals are found in shelters as people are unable to properly look after them. However, the isolation and extra time during stay-at-home orders have led to an overall increase in pet adoptions. 

The Nine Lives Foundation is an adoption center which rescues and shelters cats. It has rescued several ill and injured cats and facilitated numerous adoptions with them. In comparison to the adoptions at Nine Lives Foundation in 2019, there have been approximately 500 more cat adoptions this year.

In response to the pandemic, the adoption process at the Nine Lives Foundation — like several other places — has changed. Before the pandemic, the shelter was lenient and created a safe space for anyone to come in and socialize with the cats. 

As shelter-in-place orders began to blanket the country, people found themselves sequestered in their homes, longing for companionship, allowing them to open their hearts to pets awaiting the same love in adoption shelters. Animal adoptions allow humans to have someone to care and love while providing their pets with a safe home.