A personal story from a client from Delta Mental Health Services

Surviving Covid-19 

"About Adopting Shiloh:
I adopted a dog, Shiloh, a three year old Husky/Retriever cross, from a dog rescue person just when the
pandemic was about to soar. I was feeling very lonely as I lived by myself most of the time, and my
parents were staying with my other family members. I started self-isolation and physical distancing
because I had symptoms of a cold—headache, running nose, coughing—so I stopped going to work.
When I got better and called my workplace I was informed that they were closed due to Covid 19. I
have not met or seen any close friends or family in person for two weeks.

My dog, Shiloh, gave meaning and purpose to my life during the pandemic. There were a lot of things
involved in taking care of a dog, including one to two hours walk a day, constantly vacuuming and
mopping the floor because of dog hair, but it’s all worth it when she looked at me in the eyes like she’s
communicating that she loved me. I was very blessed to have Shiloh because she’s quite trained when I
got her and she had a gentle and relaxed personality; she’s a good match to my personality and lifestyle.
There were a few times she dug through garbage cans and once she ate a whole chunk of butter from
the kitchen counter but that was my fault for not hiding these lures well enough. I am not suggesting
that everyone should adopt a pet during the pandemic but if you are willing to take care of and be
responsible for the pet’s life then having a pet can really make a difference in your life especially when
social isolation or interaction is an issue. Through having a pet we also learn to love and understand
others better because of the patience and positive social attributes we develop with our pets can equally
be applied in human relationship. All the work of taking care of the dog also becomes a daily routine that
is positive to fill my time of staying home."

Provided by a client of our Delta Clubhouse Program