After re-mortgaging her house and borrowing from friends and family to keep her business alive during the pandemic, Carolyn Hatfield happily struggles to cope with the demand from pet owners seeking day care for their COVID puppies.
“We are registered for evaluations until June,” said the owner of The Canine Social Company Ltd. in an interview.
Like many in the pet industry whose business has been disrupted by COVID, Hatfield’s biggest challenge now is managing the heightened anxiety about the separation of workers and their pets as more people return to the office.
She carefully inspects the dogs to make sure they are suitable for her dog care facility east of the Greek city of Toronto. While most dogs were approved in the years before COVID, only 40% of applicants are currently accepted because their high stress would hinder other four-legged clients.
“It’s kind of like the phenomenon of children going to kindergarten for the first time and grabbing their parents’ legs,” she said.
Almost half of the dogs she sees are anxious these days. Most are puppies that have never been separated from their owners, but even some older dogs say they prefer to be at home on the couch.
This animal concern comes after the pandemic overturned the pet business. Retail stores were periodically forced to close during successive waves after being declared insignificant services, while the demand for dog walks, day care and boarding houses disappeared as pet owners worked from home and stopped traveling. .
In all of this, Canadians have added a record number of pets to their families. Pet breeding increased by 70 percent during the pandemic, while space-related euthanasia in shelters has been virtually eliminated for dogs and drastically reduced for cats.
COVID “really demonstrates how much Canadians love animals,” said Barbara Cartwright, CEO of Humane Canada, whose members include the Humane Society and SPCAs across the country.
Fears that there will be a wave of pet surrenders when Canadians return to work have not been justified so far, she said.
Melanie Patterson, owner of Pamper the Pooch, is once again welcoming furry guests at home as demand for her small dog and cat business grows after reservations disappeared during the pandemic.
“I would say it’s definitely back to where it was before COVID, if not a little better, because of the new customers that seem to be coming,” she said.
But caring for these dogs can be difficult because many of them are not used to being alone or being around other dogs.
“I have a dog that literally sat at the window all day, just crying, waiting for (their owners) to come back for them.”
Dogs are not the only ones under stress. Patterson said he had to help first-time pet owners who are worried about being separated from their puppy.
“I do a lot more communication, I send a lot more photos, videos, texts, all kinds of communication that my clients want, just to reassure them that their dogs are doing well.”
Puppies with a pandemic are an additional problem because many of them are not well socialized and can be irritated by walkers and bark or bite in frustration, said Nicolas Smith, owner of the We Wag Toronto dog walk service.
Anxious pet owners are increasingly turning to technology or distractions to occupy their animals or observe their behavior while left alone at home. They buy remote cameras with treats for treats, two-way cameras with microphones and applications that allow video calls at home.
The use of CBD oil to soothe dogs is also increasing.
Anxiety in animals can manifest itself in constant barking and walking, urination and defecation, and in extreme cases, destructive behavior. There can also be tremendous stress for owners if they live in a multi-tenant building with threats of eviction, as well as blame for the animal’s misfortune, said Andre Yeu, founder and head coach of When Hounds Fly, a dog training service in Toronto. and Vancouver.
Treatment can help, but it can take weeks or months of a gradual increase in separation before the dog is confident that it is left alone.
Animal behaviorist Dr. Colleen Wilson says a video of a dog can help determine if it is suffering from separation anxiety or some other problem. Telemedicine can also be useful for assessing animal behavior, as separation anxiety is often misdiagnosed.
“It’s great because the real feeling about an animal is when there is no stranger in your house or you don’t take your dog to a veterinary clinic,” she said.
Wilson said studies show that pets are often stressed because owners are stressed. So calmness will model the appropriate behavior in pets. And adopting independence training, which uses a slow approach to getting the animal used to being alone, will avoid problems, she said.
Some Canadian companies have opened their doors to their employees. Vancouver-based technology company HootSuite, which has been accepting pets in some of its global offices for years, said the practice helps relieve stress for both animals and employees.
It is also a great benefit to attract and retain employees amid a tight labor market, said Carol Waldman, director of global facilities and real estate.
“Everything we can add to make it a better experience for employees and somehow promote mental health and well-being and happiness in the workplace, I think we really want to continue to grow in these areas,” she said. .
The company also pilots a free dog walk service for one hour a week.
Carolina Heyman, Tier 2 technical support manager, says her mini goldendoodle Nessie, acquired during the pandemic while Hootsuite’s offices were closed, likes to walk into the office. And Hayman said it relieves her own stress by not requiring her to leave her dog at home.
“I would probably work from home more often, because it’s important for me not to leave her alone all day.”
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on April 17, 2022.
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