Lifestyle & Culture

Managing pet anxiety as life returns to normal

By Audrey Yoo

While staying home all day may have been the worst part of the pandemic for some, it was a real treat for many pets.

“They loved having somebody home all the time because they got tons of attention,” Magdalena Kusio, founder of My Wagging Gang, said of the four-legged creatures her staff looks after. 

At this point in the pandemic, she and her Tribeca-based dog walking staff are rebuilding the business after losing a lot of clients during the height of COVID-19 isolation.  

“People stayed home. Nobody needed to be walked — and I wanted to stay home,” said Kusio, who, for about a year, had to stop walking dogs.

 Many of her previous clients permanently moved out of the city, she said. “Maybe, out of twenty dogs, four stayed.” 

Among her new clients are pandemic puppies that were adopted from animal shelters or bought from pet stores or breeders. Those puppies are adorable and lovable, Kusio said, but they need to work on their separation anxiety now that their human family members have gone back to the office and school.

“I always tell clients to train them to be alone — like, leaving to go to Whole Foods or shopping — so that they can get used to it,” Kusio said. 

Jackie Perry knows a thing or two about pandemic puppies because she has one herself: Forest, a 2-year-old Australian shepherd. He, too, gets anxious when she’s preparing to walk out the door.

“Forest is definitely more attached to me because I work from home, whereas my fiance goes into the office a few days a week,” Perry explained. 

Describing his specific behaviors, she said, “He likes to lay by my desk and tends to stand at the door barking, crying or pacing in circles when I leave the apartment, even if I’m just going down the hall.” 

Forest was a joy during the height of the pandemic, but sometimes a handful. “Having him next to my desk while I worked, and him barking and needing to go out was fun but definitely challenging at times,” Perry said. 

After talking about it for a few months, Perry and her fiance decided to buy Forest from a breeder in October 2020.

Managing Forest while she worked at home was one thing. As life’s pace continues to pick up, the couple is facing a new set of challenges with their furry friend.

“Arranging for him to be taken care of when we [travel] has been hard,” she said. “Also, training him better and just making sure he’s very well-behaved and that he knows all the commands.” 

From the comfort of a full house to the loneliness of an empty one, families and their pets are making their transitions as life in the city eases back into normality.