One in Ten Older Adults Got Pandemic Pets

Survey finds that one in ten older adults became pet parents during a pandemic.

The National Poll on Healthy Aging on 2,019 people found that 10% of all adults aged 50 - 80 years got a new pet between March 2020 and January 2021. Out of this, 16% of the adults aged between 50-80 had at least one child or teen living with them, while the majority of them didn't live with anyone under age 18. However, almost 9% of them also got a pet during the pandemic.

Pets played an important role as companions for older adults living alone, especially during the pandemic when many had to stay home due to their higher susceptibility to a severe COVID-19 infection.

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Among those who completed the poll in January 2021, 59% are pet owners, 17% of whom had gotten at least one pet since the pandemic started. The survey didn’t question if they were first time pet parents or they got an additional pet.

Individuals who were women, white, lived in single-family detached homes, aged 50-80 and were employed were more likely to have pets. Out of older employed adults, 12% reported they got a pet from March 2020.

The report revealed that older adults confessed having a pet helped them enjoy life, reduced stress, have a sense of purpose, stick to a routine, connect with other people and be physically active, particularly for dog owners.

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Three-quarters of older adults who lived alone or were in fair or poor health said the pet helped them cope with physical and emotional symptoms.

Wendy Welch, communications director, said that the nearest animal shelter to the University had seen record-high adoption rates in the past year.