If you’re lucky enough to have a furry friend by your side while you shelter in place, consider yourself #blessed. Our Bay Area doggos and cattos (?) are some of the unsung heroes of the moment, giving us much-needed emotional support. If you get anxious, you can just soak up their ignorance of the fact that the world is in the midst of a pandemic. For them, something magical happened to get their humans at home so much more, and they’re basically living their dream lives.
But we know some of you are stuck inside without a pet by your side, so we wanted to bring them to you virtually (also, you can change that — now’s a great time to foster ). Whether you have your own pet or not, we’re mindful that you’re getting inundated with sad and scary news, so we wanted to provide some free, cute therapy to brighten your day.
Below, please enjoy a sampling of the good dogs and cats of the Bay Area helping their owners endure the crisis. To share your pet, use the hashtag #TBIQuarantinePets, and we’ll share on Twitter and Instagram.
Luka, 10
“I’m home self-quarantined after possible exposure to Covid-19. Unfortunately, I’m sick as well. I was lucky enough to get tested, after much persistence, and my result was negative. Phew! I’ve been sequestered alone since March 9 with only my dog as company. He dutifully sits by my side on the couch and shares my food; I’m being more generous than usual. He is feasting on chicken and mango sorbet. I miss human contact and especially hugs, but licks and cuddles from Luka are helping me get through.”
— Amy Draizen, Oakland
Minature, 8
“This is Minature, she is from Oakland, California, and she loves to fetch, tug-o-war, and cuddle. Her favorite non-dog food snack is spinach, and she will be nine years old in April.
Since Covid started, she’s been my constant companion at home and helping [with] a variety of things. Most important have been meal prep (eating the scraps), providing company and someone to talk to, keeping me exercising with walks/playing, and overall anxiety reduction.” — Marisa, Oakland
Scarlet, 9, Eleanor, 3, and Stanley, 6
“They’re troublemakers, as most rabbits are, but they’re also super adorable. They keep me busy when they’re awake, but I also get three fluff butts who love playing around and on top of me. They are all rescues from different shelters. Rabbits are temperamental and considered exotic, so don’t buy them without extensive research or give them for Easter gifts. They are pets that require time and love. Some centers also have foster programs if people want to try and see if rabbits are a good pet for them. ”
— Elisa Rodrigues, Richmond
Nilla, 8
“My favorite parts of the day are cuddling in bed with my rescue dog, Nilla, (morning) and on the couch (many more hours than usual). I can tell my breathing slows down when I pet her, so it’s like I’m doing yoga without even going anywhere (I kid). Even walking her twice a day forces me to leave statistics and fears back at my apartment, and instead focus on the routine of watching her sun herself, and alternatively, get overly aggressive at the sight of any other dog. Everything’s changed in just two weeks and feels upside down. But Nilla is the same crazy, yet adorable dog.”
— Mary Ladd, San Francisco
Kyah, 1, and Panther, 2.5
“My dogs are always ON when it comes to helping me cope with my anxieties. Their constant needs and presence provide a sense of normalcy, no matter what is happening outside our four walls.”
— Sage Curtis, San Jose
Brownie — or Brown, Brown Dog, Hound Dog, Treat
“Originally named “Brownie” when we found him, by my then nine-year-old daughter, he answers to Brown, Brown Dog, Hound Dog, Treat. Brown and I normally take a 10-minute walk through the western edge of McLaren Park before I head to work, but the first day I began my work from home adventure, we expanded our walk to 20 minutes so he could sniff and mark, and I could breathe deeply and remember the trees were here yesterday and will be here tomorrow. Which is just enough to continually restore my faith and my hope.”
—Julie, Excelsior District, San Francisco
Nikki, 8 or 9 (tan poodle), and Luke, 4 (brown and white terrier)
“Nikki and Luke live with my wife and I in the Lower Haight in San Francisco. Nikki is my wife’s emotional support animal and is fantastic at her job.Luke is Nikki’s emotional support animal, and he’s lucky Nikki is pretty self-sufficient because he’s a bit of a doofus.
The two of them spend all day wheedling for belly rubs and generally reminding us that even in the midst of a pandemic there are small moments of love and joy to be found.”
— Gensan, Lower Haight, San Fransisco
Miss Chuck Chuck, 5, and Noodles, unknown
“Our chickens provide amusement and companionship. Today, I let them roam the yard as I worked in my office hammock, and they mainly stayed close by, trying to drink out of my coffee mug and scratching for bugs. Every time I get up, they run after me at full speed, clucking for treats. I call them my ‘pooparazzi’ since they comment on my every movement and poop everywhere.”
—Xandra Castleton, Berkeley
Nala, almost 2
“My partner is due late April/early May. We are getting ready to welcome our baby into this world but haven’t left our place for a week except to go to the doctor’s, the grocery, and to occasionally walk to the park where we wave to people we know. We’re both pretty tired of this already. Our cat, Nala, has been good at keeping us company. Every half an hour (except in the afternoon when she’s sleeping), she bites me to play with her.”
— Karthik Sethuraman, San Francisco
Beau, 7, and Patsy, 6
“Our chocolate lab is Beau. He’s seven years old and from Golden Gate Lab Rescue. Patsy is our black lab. We think she’s around 5 or 6 years old, and she came to us via Monterrey Lab Rescue. I think now would be an ideal time to foster an animal since so many people are WFH, these worthy rescue organizations always need help, and pets spark real joy.”
— Teresa Burlison, Oakland Hills
Violet, 9 months
“I have two boys aged nine and five, and our dog Violet is loving the shelter-in-place order.
She is joining in remote soccer drills, snuggling on laps during home learning, and helping us all relax by making us laugh with her puppy naughtiness.
Violet is a rescue from Silicon Valley Pet Project.”
— Madelaine Healey, Los Gatos
Bokchoy, 19
“I have been teaching and working from home, and my beloved Bokchoy has been a comforting and loving presence during these challenging days.”
— Maw Shein Win, El Cerrito
Trudy, 12 weeks
“On the one hand, having a puppy during this shelter-in-place time is a godsend. Trudy is sweet and entertaining and getting lots of hands-on training. It’s hard to be too distraught about the state of the world with a puppy snuggling in your lap. On the other hand, this is her prime ‘socialization’ period — when puppies are learning the most and acclimating to the outside world — so it’s not ideal to have her cooped up all day, rather than out meeting humans and having adventures. But as far as coronavirus concerns go, that’s an extremely minor one, of course. In the meantime, just a lot of squeaky toys and treats.”
— Carey Jones, Inner Richmond, San Francisco
Penny, 1 (Dog), Francisco, 7 months (Cat)
“Penny is sweet and snuggly, really happy to have us home all day feeding her snacks. Francisco is curious and rambunctious. They are best friends. I live with my husband and brother-in-law and we’re all working from home with varying degrees of success. Penny motivates us to get some outside time, and Francisco reminds us that if you’re home all day it’s cool to nap whenever you want to. They have been a source of uncomplicated joy in these confusing, stressful times.”
— Anna, Potrero Hill
