Currently, it feels like the world is quickly on its way back to normal. Many people are projecting that come around mid to end June or early to mid-July 80% of adults in the United States are going to be fully vaccinated. Every day as more and more people are becoming vaccinated our chances of hitting herd immunity increase. Additionally, the FDA and United States government recently announced that more testing had been done and now anyone over the age of 12 was eligible to get vaccinated. Previously, only those 18 and up were eligible. For over a year many people have felt extremely isolated and disconnected socially. As the world reopens many people are trying to expand beyond their quarantine circles and get out and socialize.
Additionally, with all of the pets adopted over quarantine, it is easy to assume that these owners are trying to build their own networks of puppy playmates. Maybe even expand their network of friends in the process. After not socializing for months on end the sound of interacting with people might sound daunting, many of us even feel like we have lost our social skills.
If you are currently looking to expand your social circles why not try reaching out to other pet owners? Perhaps you are one of the thousands of people who adopted a dog over quarantine or maybe you are a long-time pet owner, either way, you both fall into the category of dog owners. Reaching out to other pet owners to meet up to go on dog walks, the dog park, or puppy playdates at home can be a great way to socialize for both you and your pup! And if you are not ready to meet up in person, it can be great to find other people to talk and text with.
Not sure where to reach out or find people? Here are a couple of options!
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Network on social media
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Instagram and Facebook will probably be the easiest places to reach out to other people/accounts. You can start with people you already follow who you may not know personally or reach out to new people. If you are nervous about reaching out directly, consider trying to slowly build a relationship by commenting and liking posts before messaging directly. Just remember the worst that can happen is you don’t get a response and if they don’t respond there is a good chance they just did not see your message, so no sweat!
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Join the Zen Frenz community
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Zen Frenz is a pet wellness company that does more than sell pet products. From their mission statement, “Zen Frenz aims to be the future of pet wellness. We are dedicated to building a community of passionate pet owners who strive to bring themselves their Frenz the best lives possible.” While they post a lot about their products, they are also committed to posting lots of other content directed at overall wellness. If you connect with their mission statement, then you should consider reaching out to their followers! That way you know you already have at least a few things in common.