The Puppy and Baby Boom of 2020

How the Coronavirus Pandemic Has Impacted Pregnancies and Dog Adoptions

For decades, we’ve known about a strange, mythical phenomenon that seems to occur following times where couples are stuck together indoors without a whole lot to do. What happens during these types of situations? Well, nine months later, there’s often an unprecedented spike in birth rates. Yes, that’s right, babies are born as a result of blizzards and blackouts.

At the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic, many people expected to see a similar phenomenon occurring. A subsequent spike in birth rates following long and boring periods of quarantine. It makes sense, and if you’re often on social media or follow the lives of celebrities and influencers, you may have noticed many of them showing off their COVID baby bumps. A huge number of people with an online presence seem to be announcing the anticipated arrival of a bundle of joy. However, as the long months of isolation have worn on, and the pandemic hits a second wave, experts are now divided on their opinions regarding the COVID-19 baby boom. While many still think there will be a spike in births in 2021, some experts are of the opinion that we might actually see a baby bust.

In the first few months of quarantine, people were still unsure as to the longevity and severity of the situation. So, understandably, being shut inside with not much else to do and false hope for a speedy return to normality, pregnancies spiked. However, as the relative seriousness of the situation has become apparent, and the world enters a scary second-wave, people don’t anticipate seeing that same boom this time around. This is primarily due to fear of the future and a growing realization that now, amongst so much uncertainty, might not be the best time to have a baby.

But when it comes to puppies, that’s a whole other story. 

The pandemic also brought with it a massive surge in dog adoptions and puppy purchases. Shelters were emptied out for the first time in... ever. People who were stuck at home with nothing to do were racing to rescue a dog or bring home a new puppy. Why? Well. Simple. There was time to train them and take care of them. Individuals who no longer had to go to work every day, who had the extra time to put into training, or those who were just bored, decided it was time to bring how a fluffy friend. 

Yes, for man’s best friend, and for shelter dogs who needed homes, COVID-19 actually turned out to be a blessing. Think about it? For once, thousands of people found themselves desperate to actually go outside and do something, even if all they could do was take their pup for a stroll. Tedious potty-training and constantly caring for a new puppy didn’t seem like such a bad thing. Everyone was desperate for something, anything, to fill up their time. There have been rises in the sales of dog leashes, surges in veterinary visits, the dog days of the pandemic are upon us. 

The upcoming New Year is (hopefully) going to be a better year for us all. After 2020 turned out to be such a dud, most of us are keeping our fingers VERY tightly crossed that better days lie ahead. But for many... those better days are now going to involve a whole lot of walkies and diaper changes.