Pet owners in Southern California who rushed to find a furry friend at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic are keeping their pets when they return to the office, shelters say. “Despite alarmist headlines tied to regional reports of a surge in owner surrenders, this trend is not currently evident on a national level,” The American Society of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) said in a statement. “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 a survey by ASPCA, close to one-in-five households, or 23 million American households, acquired a cat or dog since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Los Angeles and Orange County Animal Services confirmed that despite reports of pets being left behind, the county has not seen an increase in returns. “We …