WINNIPEG Reagan Takeuchi and her partner have been the proud owners of Millie, a golden retriever mix, for about one year. The dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic played a big role in their decision to get a pet. “We both figured out that we were going to be working from home, so we knew we had the time and attention to spend on a new pup,” said Takeuchi. It’s not exactly a unique experience. Plenty of Manitobans became pet owners during the pandemic. “I can honestly say in the thirty years (of the shelter), I’ve never seen empty cages in the way that we had (at the start of the pandemic),” said Carla Martinelli-Irvine, founder and executive director of the Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter.
WINNIPEG Some animal shelters usually say getting a furry friend around the holidays is a bad idea, but this year may be different due to public health orders during the pandemic. Most years, the holidays are filled with get-togethers and parties with family, friends and excited children. Introducing a new cat or dog into a bustling, busy household at this time of year can be very stressful for the animal, said Carla Martinelli-Irvine, the founder and executive director at Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter. But given the extended public health orders, which limit social interactions to households only, her animal shelter may consider applications for pet adoptions, she said.