- More than 23 million U.S. households — nearly one in five nationwide — adopted a pet during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
- Thirty-five percent of pet owners in September said they were concerned about the expense of having a pet in the current economy, according to data from the American Pet Products Association trade group. Of those, half said they may have to give up their pet.
- “When the economy is struggling, families are struggling,” said Lindsay Hamrick, director of shelter outreach and engagement at the Humane Society of the United States. “That shows up as surrenders.”
