The Daily Universe Many Utah citizens are falling more in love with pets after lots of home-alone time during the pandemic. Newsline reporter Amy Griffin talks about the perks and problems that come with a surge in “pandemic puppies.” Griffin said because of the global pandemic, more people than ever now work from home. This means a spike in the number of people adopting a furry best friend. A bull run for the dog market is evident from the relatively low number of animals in shelters compared to pre-pandemic numbers. Independent data tracker, “Shelter Animal Count,” says that shelter euthanasia dropped nearly 50% in 2020. For some, adopting a dog makes the loneliness of pandemic life easier to deal with.