Pets are wonderful beings known for many things such as providing humans comfort, companionship, and support with medical needs. 

According to the 2021-2022 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association (APPA), seventy percent of U.S. households, or about 90.5 million families, own a pet and approximately 70 percent of Americans surveyed in 2020 also reported spending more time with their pets due to nationwide lockdowns which forced people to be confined at home.

Pets Deserve Better

Normally, pets spend less than half the day with their humans, allowing humans to reap the benefits of their pet’s love, affection, and care during times of high stress. But studies show that pets are stressed too. For example, dogs adopted during the pandemic are more anxious and experience higher levels of separation anxiety than dogs adopted pre-pandemic. Just like humans, many pets have become under-socialized and awkward around one another.

The Santa Cruz Works team has noticed this issue and personally experienced the impacts of their stressed pets during their workday.

Executive Director of Santa Cruz Works, Doug Erickson, recently remarked:

“I love my cat to death, but I’m going nuts with all the meowing.” 

Matthew Swinnerton shared:

“I feel terribly sorry for them…they have to be around them all day and listen to them go on and on about how the weather is and the latest company acquisitions. I’m bored out of my mind, so I’d imagine that the cats and dogs are too. Pets deserve better.” 

An All-Inclusive Space

The increasing need for a new space that deals with these issues is evident. As of April 1st, 2022, Santa Cruz Works announced that it will be launching Santa Cruz Pets, a new group exclusively for the pets of Santa Cruz County to mingle. To kick off the launch, Santa Cruz Pets will be hosting a party at 4200 Capitola Rd, Capitola, CA 95010. Santa Cruz Pets also has plans to create a show with a major American television channel later this year. The show, “Pet Swap”, will follow four pets as they trade homes with one another to find ideal matches. The Santa Cruz Pets group will consist of weekly meetups at various parks and beaches in Santa Cruz County as well as a series of workshops throughout the year for those eager to develop their skills: 

• Surfing for Dogs Ft. Skyler the Surfing Dog

• 5 Ways to Hack Automatic Feeders

• How to Train Your Human To Give More Treats

• AI for Cats and Dogs

We asked the director of Santa Cruz Pets to share a comment:

“She [Malina Long] ignores me when I have a crucial, important idea to contribute in meetings. I know they can hear me because they ask her, ‘is that your baby crying?’ but it’s ME. I am not a baby. All I want is to be a part of the meeting but she won’t let me. Something needs to be done, I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way. This is why I believe in Santa Cruz Pets.” - Leche, mixed orange tabby and Director of Santa Cruz Pets

About Santa Cruz Pets

Santa Cruz Pets is an inclusive place for pets of all breeds and backgrounds. Santa Cruz Pets aims to create a judgment-free space and empower pets to lead positive lives regardless of their upbringing or monetary situation. A lifetime membership is $1,000 but will be waived if you provide a monthly donation of treats or your human’s SS number.

Happy first of April ;)