Returning to Work and School Post Pandemic? What about your Pets?

Jennifer Heiner is the former retail director of a New Jersey-based running company. Prior to serving in that position, Jennifer Heiner also spent time as a foster coordinator with Home for Good Dog Rescue in Berkeley Heights and a customer support specialist at a leading animal hospital in the area. She remains an active supporter and lover of animals.

Fostering a dog is one of the most effective ways to support an animal, short of outright adoption. While representatives of a shelter or rescue can help prepare a foster family prior to taking a specific dog home, there are a few basic considerations families can make on their own. To begin, foster families should evaluate where a dog will eat, drink, sleep, go to the bathroom, play, train, and so on. Dogs desire this structure, and most humans prefer for dogs to relieve themselves outdoors. Without proper preparation, however, both parties will be confused and accidents are likely to occur. In most cases it is advisable to walk a foster dog when it first arrives, rather than taking the animal directly indoors. An initial walk helps the animal work out any stress or excess energy, while also allowing it to familiarize itself with the general area. Above all else, this walk will serve as an important bonding experience. With this in mind, a dog should also be kept on leash when entering and exploring a household for the first time. Foster families should also determine how responsible they are for the dog’s health. Families should obviously take care of foster animals as they would their own pets, and may need to rush animals to an emergency room in the event of dire medical circumstances. That said, it is important to understand what the protocol is if the dog gets fleas, develops diarrhea, or has other issues, and what the shelter expects from foster families. A few additional tips to follow include minimizing the number of new people the dog meets on its first day (as it will likely already be overly excited and somewhat nervous) and to ensure the planned type of food and feeding schedule lines up with what the animal has grown accustomed to.

When the covid pandemic first began over 18 months ago, everyone was home from work and school, and the animal shelters were emptying, as families determined it was the perfect time to adopt a dog, cat, or other small animal. But is that truly the case? Now that life is returning to normal families are spending more time outside the home and away from their pets. There are warning signs that your pet is getting stressed with this change in routine and with being left alone more often. 

lt is important to recognize these warning signs sooner rather than later, and work with your pet to assess and allay their fears and anxiety about their new routines and significantly increasing alone time. Having a chat with your veterinarian is a good first step to tackling these problems before they become too serious.