PINAL COUNTY, Ariz.—Life during the COVID-19 pandemic could be an especially lonely time for homebound Americans, and to ease the stress many families adopted a pet for daily companionship.   The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) reports that in 2021 alone 23 million households—nearly one in five—had taken in a cat or dog since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.  “The vast majority of these households still have that pet in the home—90 percent for dogs and 85 percent for cats—and are not considering rehoming their pet in the near future,” according to the society in a recent survey. Matt Bershadker, ASPCA president and CEO, said in a statement that this “incredibly stressful period motivated many people to foster and adopt animals, as well as further cherish the pets already in their lives.” What’s more, the organization’s research found “no significant risk of animals …