Pandemic Puppies: A Common Quarantine Side-Effect
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many local families have welcomed dogs into their homes to lift their spirits. These canine friends help bring about positivity and help support dog-related businesses in the area.
“[Dogs] bring another kind of joy into your life,” said Gina Kim, a recent adopter of a poodle mix in June of 2020. Kim said that taking care of and training a puppy is time consuming and at times and wears on her patience, but she appreciates its company all the same.
Emilia Wightlin (‘23), who adopted a rescue dog from Tijuana in September of 2020, said her dog is a good excuse to get out of the house and walk around the neighborhood. She also agreed with Kim that spending time with a dog can be really fun and have a positive effect on the mental health of the owners.
Dog trainer Mel Reicheck from her local company, Dogpanion Private Dog Training, said that her business increased substantially once the pandemic began.
“Before the pandemic began I was booking 2 weeks out,” Reicheck said. “Since the pandemic I was booking close to 4 weeks out – almost a 40% increase.”
However, she also had to make changes to her company’s model. To comply with local safety guidelines, Reicheck requires face masks for in-person meetings, which usually are conducted outside, in the client’s backyard. Alternately, clients can opt to send their dog to her home for a two week long board-and-train to avoid in-person contact and still complete the dog’s training.
Similarly, Joe Cardenas, the Senior Manager of Customer Relationship Management Strategy Marketing at Petco in San Diego, also observed that the corporation is experiencing successful sales growth.
“Our e-commerce business used to be 10% of our total sales and is now upwards of 20% and continuing to grow while our brick and mortar business has rebounded and maintained very strong sales and traffic,” Cardenas said. “This growth can largely be attributed to the explosion of new pet parents during the last 9 months.”
Cardenas also went on to explain that many local families are getting pets now more than ever because their increased amount of time spent at home means that they don’t have to worry about pet care during the work day.
San Diego dog groomer Valerie Vogel of Ruff Life Mobile Pet Spaw said this is partially true. She said that she did lose some customers when the pandemic began, but others began to look at pet services outside of daycare.
“One beneficial part [of the pandemic] is more people are liking the idea of mobile [grooming] rather than the drop off/pick up at a store,” Vogel said. “My phone has been ringing more with potential customers who are new to mobile and want to limit their risk of going into stores or grooming shops.”
The uptick in business at the animal hospital mirrors that of many other local industries that cater to dogs. Dr. Bone finds that the reasoning behind this swell is due to the fact that “a lot of people have always wanted to get a pet but their excuse has always been that they are never home. Now, they are always home!”
In short, some people found that adopting dogs can provide comforting friends during quarantine. The increase of pandemic puppies has led to increased business for some local canine companies.