New pets bring entertainment and companionship during isolation

PHOTO: Senior Jacob Kelman enjoys spending time with his new puppy Bella, which he recently adopted during shelter-in-place.

By Lindsey Su,

BlueDevilHUB.com Editor-in-chief–

Despite the social distancing orders due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, students are making new friends: pets. For many families, this has been a convenient time to adopt new pets because they are home all day and available to provide care and training.

Adopting during this time can also help to support local shelters and keep them in business. To adapt to the social distancing rules, many shelters have been offering curbside pickup along with Zoom interviews and appointments.

Although many pets are happy to see their owners all day, social isolation has also kept animals from socializing with each other. Senior Jacob Kelman recently adopted a new puppy to accompany his dog Wyatt.

“She’s been a great addition to the family and the two of them have already become really good friends. She follows him around everywhere,” Kelman said.

Junior Amaralyn Ewey recently acquired a new furry friend, not from a shelter, but from a family in Turlock. The family could no longer keep the dog because both parents lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Ewey’s new French bulldog Fisher has helped keep her and her family active with daily walks.

“He’s made our time at home much more fun and it’s been exciting to play with him. It keeps life interesting and spices things up,” Ewey said.

For senior Bailee Nicolet, her new feline friend Reecy came as a surprise when she was on a walk with her sister. “She just followed us home on a walk one day and my sister’s been wanting a cat to take to college with her so when she just stayed at our house, we decided we wanted her,” Nicolet said. 

Nicolet’s family posted pictures of Reecy on social media and waited a week before taking her inside to make sure another family was not missing her. They also have not officially adopted her, as they are still waiting to see if anyone will claim Reecy as their own.

“She’s fun to have around because when we’re bored we can go play with her or, like, bring her downstairs to explore,” Nicolet said.