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In last week's cover story, WW examined eight Oregon businesses that have boomed during the pandemic. That includes dog breeders—like an English cream golden retriever breeder in Salem who has upped the price per puppy by $500 and has a waiting list through next year—and vacation homes in Sunriver, where buyers largely from California are snatching homes off the market, often for above asking price. Sales of jigsaw puzzles, blankets and wine are also on the rise, but our readers had the most to say about pandemic puppies and second homes.
Erika Peterson via Facebook: "'House you can afford.' Sunriver. Snort."
@SunChas80567198 via Twitter: "Nice story about how the pandemic doesn't affect the affluent. They are still buying second homes and luxury properties. Shocking."
Zena via Facebook: "Oh…to be so privileged to have these problems. Meanwhile, the majority of my students barely have the home security of an apartment."
Kelly Stiles via Facebook: "'We just moved here from the Bay Area,' like nails on a chalkboard."
@iff_or via Twitter: "2020 is when I learned I can get resentment chills."
Cathy Nash Petersen via Facebook: "Adopt! Let's hope all the people that got dogs during the pandemic keep them and treat them like part of the family once there isn't someone at home every day all day."
Lorene Jones via wweek.com: "Most reputable breeders already had waiting lists for their puppies even before the pandemic. Sadly, many nonreputable breeders are taking advantage of the demand and breeding dogs that are genetically or physically unhealthy and, sadly, it will be the buyers who pay the ultimate price for this. Please do your research and make sure the breeder does at least the minimum health testing recommended by their breed parent club."
Lex DeNovo via wweek.com: "Yeah, can't get behind this article, that is, its subject. Too many other dogs out there for the loving to have a breeder be having a wait list for designer dogs."
pdxn00b via wweek.com: "Ugh, this is so irresponsible. Once the economy opens up, invariably many of these will be abandoned at shelters or lead a miserable life [spent] alone indoors. Dog breeders should be taxed to fund running of animal shelters, just like how gas tax is used to pay for road maintenance and tobacco tax is used to fund cancer research."
Karla Kay via Facebook: "In a few months after going back to work, all these people will wonder why their 'purebred' dogs have a shit ton of separation anxiety. But go ahead and give hundreds to thousands of dollars to this breeder."
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