People stuck at home decided that they could use a new four-legged companion. There were shortages at shelters all across the country as people starved for affection and physical interaction tried to bring home cats and dogs. Some shelters saw their adoption rates jump nearly 40 percent. Houston, for some reason, didn’t. Whether it's because shelters had to shut down for a while or limited the number of guests or for any other reasons, the pet boom appears to have passed us by. Eddie Miranda, public information officer for Harris County Pets, says that they haven’t seen a massive surge in inquiries or, thankfully, in surrenders either from people who might have gotten an animal on an impulse and later regretted it.