For many people, the silver lining of the last year and half of the pandemic has been the pets they’ve welcomed into their homes.

• Looking for a pet? Think small.
  

Since the start of the pandemic, the demand for pets has skyrocketed. Roughly 1 in 5 Americans adopted or bought a pet between March 2020 and May 2021, according to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 

As many return to work and school, those pets are still bringing companionship and love to their new owners. We asked Boston.com readers if they were among the 23 million American household who took on pet ownership during the pandemic and they shared their adoption stories with us.

“During the pandemic we were all anxious, and at the worst of it, unable to see our friends and family. Adopting our cat Bennie was the best thing we could have done for our household,” said Alexa of Marshfield. “He loves us all unconditionally and is always ready to comfort anyone who sits still long enough. We are so glad we made the decision to adopt.“

Ahead, you’ll find photos sent in by readers of their furry — and scaly — four-legged friends so we can all share in their cuteness.

Photo by Moments Suspended in Time Photography.

I had been searching dog rescue sites for years but my work schedule always made me pause. On a random day in March of 2020, we quickly packed up our desks with the intention to work from home for two weeks. I submitted applications with rescue organization that same night, thinking a couple of weeks at home would allow time to acclimate a dog to my life and sort daycare and dog walking options. All the dogs were spoken for but one rescue organization interviewed me in hopes of a future opportunity.

As fate would have it, a few days later, the rescue had taken in eight biomedical research beagles due to a laboratory being shut down due to COVID. I drove to the rescuer’s home, met all the bouncy beautiful beagles and fell …….

Source: https://www.boston.com/culture/community/2021/10/13/readers-share-pandemic-pet-photos-stories/