The One Tip You Need to Reacclimate Your Dog to Society After Being Inside All Year PureWow 2 hrs ago A funny thing happened when everything shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic: People and dogs bonded big time! Not only did the national adoption rate soar from 58 to 85 percent in March of 2020, but shelter animal euthanizations decreased by 49 percent and pet toy sales increased by 18 percent. Time Magazine named shelter dogs their 2020 pet of the year. It makes sense. Staying safe indoors all the time can get repetitive, lonely and dull. Dogs break up the monotony—and provide ample affection to keep us mentally and emotionally optimistic.