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Jett Gesten
Professor Guenzel
ENC 1102
Final Draft

Rhetorical Analysis: Ashley Preston’s “A Silver Lining in the COVID-19 Quarantine”

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is an inescapable topic right now, and yet there is little
research on its effects other than immediate health and economic concerns. For the first time in a
long time, humans are keeping to themselves and not disturbing the environment due to the
lockdowns put in place. In my research paper, I aim to explore the effects of this lockdown on
animal populations in the United States, Thailand, and Africa. One group of animals most
directly affected are our pets. United States pet culture is unlike that in many other places. In
Africa for example, dogs roam the villages, but are not treated as companions (Herzog).
Inversely, pets in the United States are treated as family members. Ashley Preston, a journalist
and communications specialist for Forward Thinking Systems, writes about lockdown affects on
our pets in her article, "A Silver Lining in the COVID-19 Quarantine: 3 Ways Animals are
Benefiting from Coronavirus Social Distancing Rules". Not much information can be found
about Preston aside from her written description on the website, and a few informal articles she
has written on various other websites. The premise of the article can be derived from the title; it
is about ways that animals benefit from the Coronavirus. Posted on April 22, 2020, this article
was written as the spread of the virus was starting to speed up. Recovery seemed hopeless as the
infection numbers rose alongside the death toll. An article to lift spirits was the perfect
opportunity. It could also be said that the article attempts to encourage the reader to adopt a pet,
as many of the benefits of pet ownership are listed within. Therefore, the intended audience of
the article is likely those who are most worried about COVID, and potential pet owners. The
article is broken down into 5 sections, though only 3 are relevant to my research. These 3
sections describe how owners are spending more time with their pets and how it is a mutually
beneficial relationship, that more animals are being put into foster care, and that more animals
are being adopted. These claims are all backed up with evidence from other news articles in the
form of in-text links, which make it easy to read, as citations do not get in the way of clarity. The
article is split up into short, easy to read paragraphs, separated by the occasional image of a cute
pet with a witty description underneath. Cute animals are one of the easiest ways to draw one's
attention on the internet, and since the article is about these pets, it is a natural combination. This
is exclusively an appeal to pathos. The authors tone is appropriate for the article. It seems very
caring but factual, with a bit of humor in between. This clear presentation style and supported
information makes it very bizarre that the source of this article is a company for shipping truck
fleet management. The article is posted in the "Resource Center" section of the website. At the
top, multiple drop-down tabs, labelled "Products" and "Solutions" are clearly evident. These
tabs, when hovered over, display the various products and services the company has to offer. The
most sensible explanation for the existence of the article is that with people staying home to
avoid spreading the Coronavirus, shipping companies are more profitable than ever, as people
purchase things online to cure their boredom or to give themselves pleasure. Creating a news
article related to COVID-19 designed to lift people’s spirits, and making it about animals, is an
excellent way to attract attention and clicks to your website, exposing potential customers to
your products.
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Nonetheless, the article makes claims which can be analyzed. The first of these claims is
that "pets are spending more time with their families thanks to social distancing". This point is
self-evident, and while the first line contains an advertisement for HBO ("try HBO; it has
released a bunch of free titles to help combat boredom"), it is logically sound. Staying home
means you are not away from your pet as much. Preston provides several reasons that this is
beneficial for both pets and their owners, including going outside for walks, keeping our
schedules consistent, and alleviating anxiety, stress, and depression (Preston). The final claim is
backed up with an article from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, a nonprofit
organization dedicated to increasing awareness for anxiety disorders (Wikipedia). It should be
noted that the header of the Wikipedia article contains warnings that the article appears as an
advertisement, is primarily written by a contributor with a close connection to the association
and relies heavily on primary sources. The link has since been broken, but use of the Wayback
Machine, a site that archives webpages, allows for a cached version of the site. However, Preston
goes on to explain that there are drawbacks to staying home with our pets. The mental health of
our pets can decline when they sense our stress but can be relieved with frequent play and
physical activity (Preston). This also acts as a rebuttal or counterargument, and she easily
explains it with proper support.

The next subsection of the article is titled "More animals are being pulled from shelters
into emergency foster care". Following the same format as the previous section, Preston makes a
claim, as seen in the title of the section, then backs it up with evidence through the links,
pointing towards her sources. This section primarily contains the benefits of fostering pets,
supporting the conclusion that the article may sway potential pet owners. Preston writes, “Foster
families are usually the first ones who get to see their true personalities. A foster home may be
the first place a pet learns basic house manners; making them even more appealing to potential
adopter… Fostering is a great step for people who want to open their homes to a furry friend but
aren’t sure they are ready for the long-term commitment of being a pet owner” (Preston).

Preston's last section, "More pets are being outright adopted during the novel
coronavirus outbreak", is her most data-driven section. She writes, "Shelters across the country
have reported a major uptick in adoption rates, and many shelters are slashing adoption rates to
clear out their kennels. This statement contained two links; the first points to a USA Today news
article which contained an interview with Angela Speed, vice president for communications at
the Wisconsin Humane Society, who said that "up north at the Wisconsin Humane Society, they
had so many new foster parents sign up – 400 – in just a few days that it briefly crashed the
website. Within five days, their shelters were cleared out, with 159 animals adopted and 160 in
foster care" (Puente). The second link leads to 12News who mentions several animal shelters or
foundations that are reducing their adoption fees (12 News). The evidence provided is solid, yet
is rather specific towards certain shelters. Further research has revealed that this claim is valid,
however. A report from Wired, a center leaning news website, confirms that " All over the
country, from New York to Wisconsin and North Carolina to Colorado and New Mexico, animal
shelters are reporting massive upswings in the numbers of animals they’ve been able to adopt out
or place in foster homes.” (Ellis). This article is written by Emma Grey Ellis, a writer who
specializes in internet culture and propaganda.
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     After analysis of the author's claims, the article makes sense and I believe it can properly be
used for citation. However, since this article has few primary sources, it may be a better option to
simply look at the sources this article uses and cite from there. This article's lightheartedness and
wit, followed by appropriate information and sources, is very convincing, though the narrative is
very evident. The article is designed to get people to click on it to see cute animals and then
presents the company's products. Since I did in fact click on it, and then learned what the
company was for the purposes of research, this endeavor was successful. One oversight of the
article is that it lacks any real counterargument or rebuttal. This could be because the piece is
intended to lift the spirits of those who dread the Coronavirus. The goal of the article is to find a
silver lining. Mentioning reasons as to why their points are deficient could foil the intention of
the article. A possible downside that is not mentioned is that not everyone is qualified to own a
pet. An increase in adoption, combined with a time of financial downfall, can lead to many pets
being abandoned. It is possible that some owners adopt them as a source of comfort, or just
something to focus on, but cannot afford the costs that come with these animals. Even with
adoption fees being waived, animals can become very expensive when the prices of food and
visits to the vet are factored in. Nevertheless, it does inform the reader on the benefits of the
Coronavirus on pets, including more time with their owners, and higher rates of adoption. I will
be able to use both of these points in my research paper. By examining exotic animals and
animal tourism, our domestic animals may be overlooked.
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Works Cited:

Anxiety and Depression Association of America. 10 Mar. 2021,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anxiety_and_Depression_Association_of_America.

Ellis, Emma Grey. “Thanks to Sheltering in Place, Animal Shelters Are Empty.” Wired, Conde
Nast, 10 Apr. 2020, www.wired.com/story/coronavirus-pet-adoption-boom/.

Herzog, Hal. “Is a Love of Dogs Mostly a Matter of Where You Live?” Psychology Today,
Sussex Publishers, 1 Aug. 2019, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animals-and-
us/201908/is-love-dogs-mostly-matter-where-you-live.

Preston, Ashley. 3 Ways Animals Are Benefiting from Coronavirus Social Distancing Rules. 26
May 2020, www.ftsgps.com/resource-center/3-ways-animals-are-benefiting-from-
coronavirus-social-distancing-rules/.

Puente, Maria. “Happy News: Pet Adoptions Are Way up amid Coronavirus Crisis, Even with
Shelters Closed to Public.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 30 Mar.
2020, www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2020/03/27/animal-adoptions-
shelters-get-creative-pair-parents-pets-amid-coronavirus/2907199001/.

“Valley Animal Rescues Cut Adoption Fees to Clear Shelters as Coronavirus Pandemic Forces
Closures.” 12news.Com, 25 Mar. 2020, www.12news.com/article/life/pets/valley-animal-
rescues-cut-adoption-fees-to-clear-shelters-as-coronavirus-pandemic-forces-closures/75-
c22cc7cb-fc87-47cc-8633-d37cdbf0026b.