‘Showering pets with love.’ Sacramento-area animal adoptions, toy sales surge during pandemic

“Man’s best friend” has been getting some extra love during the pandemic.

Spending on pet supplies and demand for adopting dogs and other pets has increased this spring and summer with many people working from home and spending more time with their four-legged friends.

At PoshPaws Spa in Rocklin and poshpuppyboutique.com, for example, second quarter sales are up 61% over the same time last year, pointing to the increased attention many people have paid their pets during the pandemic. Jennifer Kirk, who has owned Posh Puppy Boutique since 2007, said dog toys rather than necessities like food have been her top sellers. Kirk also owns the dog grooming service PoshPaws Spa.

Kirk said customers have remained interested in basic supplies as well as grooming, which can be critical to health for certain dog breeds, but they have also bought toys and treats during the pandemic at rates to rival the holiday season. Pet supply businesses remained open as essential services throughout the pandemic.

“We actually had a more successful April, May and June than we did during the Christmas season,” Kirk said. “I think that people were home, they’re doing a lot of (online) shopping and then they have new pets.”

Animal shelters around the country reported a spike in demand for adopting and fostering cats and dogs during the pandemic.

Dawn Foster, director of marketing and communications for the Sacramento Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said the local shelter experienced a rise in demand for both adoptions and fostering during the pandemic.

The SPCA organized the adoption of 663 pets from April 1 to August 1 of this year. Foster said the shelter had to limit the number of people in the facility due to the pandemic, which when combined with high demand for adoptions meant animals found homes very quickly.

“When we first started doing appointment-based adoptions, we would put a new available dog on our website, it would only be up for five minutes and we would get 15 applications,” Foster said. “That’s kind of slowed down now, but we’re still seeing demand.”

Meanwhile, many existing pet owners pampered their animals a little extra.

“I think that with a lot of Americans being home, they’re at home with their pets more than they ever have been, and they may have actually realized how lonely their pets are when they’re at work all day,” Kirk said. “Now they’re showering (their pets) with love because they want to make sure they’re taken care of.”

Posh Puppy Boutique’s top-selling items this spring included trendy, heart-shaped pet sunglasses and a “White Paw Hound Seltzer” stuffed toy resembling a can of White Claw Hard Seltzer.

Likewise, Sacramento pet supply store The Pet Department has been selling more goods than usual during the pandemic and premium pet food is especially popular, said employee Mary Doll. Doll said sales peaked at the start of shelter-in-place orders, when pet owners tried to stock up on supplies.

Dog grooming has been able to continue indoors, unlike hair salons for humans. Kirk said PoshPaws employees practice social distancing and wear personal protective equipment while they work, and pet owners remain outside. Groomers use disposable leashes to bring pets directly to and from owners’ cars as an extra precaution.

Kirk said all of her 28 employees have stayed on board through the pandemic and she was able to give out cash bonuses in May.

Fans of Beverly Hills Chihuahua may be familiar with Kirk’s business. PoshPaws spa appeared in Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 and 3. PoshPaws also helped the movie’s costume designers create canine couture looks.

This story was originally published August 5, 2020 at 1:12 PM.