Sophomore Kavi Rajesh sits in front of her computer, her dog Wallie keeping her company. With the coronavirus pandemic, some students have felt as if there were only so many things they could do to help themselves feel better. Adopting a pet is one of them. 

Freshman Noga Katzir adopted a puppy in October of 2020. She feels like having a puppy has made her feel better and happier during the pandemic. It also inspired her to go on walks and be more active.

“It has helped me calm down and make me happy, and physically, it inspired me to go on more walks and stuff like that,” Katzir said.

Senior Jessica Toy was able to adopt a kitten within the past year. According to Toy, it took some persuasion.

“My family didn’t really want a pet, but somehow I managed to convince them with a bit of pleading,” Toy said.

Toy and Katzir share similarities of both loving their adopted pets at first sight. 

“When I first saw a picture of Yue (her new kitten), she was a little fluff ball with giant eyes. Of course I just had to have her, and now here I am,” Toy said. 

Katzir’s family looked at a litter of puppies until one caught their eye. 

“We really liked one of them, so we came by later and picked him up, and then we named him Miko,” Katzir said.

Like Katzir, Rajesh adopted a dog during the pandemic. She said her family was happy to have a puppy in the house for the first time.

“It was a really nice experience, especially because all of my family members had wanted a puppy for so long,” Rajesh said. 

Adopting a pet can lead to many changes for some. Toy said she does not feel like adopting Yue changed much besides giving her more company. 

“Nothing changed too drastically about the pandemic,” Toy said. “Having Yue does make me feel less lonely though. She follows me around everywhere in the house, and it’s so cute.” 

For Rajesh, however, adopting her dog made the pandemic feel less lonely. She said Wallie has made her time at home more exciting and eases the stress of the pandemic.

“It (adopting Wallie) definitely did make things less lonely and much more exciting,” Rajesh said. “It’s really nice to have a puppy with us, and watching him grow up has made the pandemic easier on us.”