OIDJ: Pandemic Adopters Return Pets

Excerpt from Oklahoma Institute for Diversity in Journalism:

When the pandemic hit in 2020, many people started working from home, and they adopted pets to pass the time. Animal adoption shelters like Second Chance Animal Sanctuary in Norman saw adoption rates soar. However, as people began returning to work, they found they no longer had the time or energy to take care of their pets. Now, shelters around the country, such as in Cincinnati and Los Angeles, are experiencing increased pet surrenders and adoption slow-downs since 2020.