Rehoming charities are expecting a surge in dogs as people return to work.
Dog charities reveal they are receiving over 1,000 requests for a single dog after the price of puppies soars to as much as £11,000 as greedy sellers try to cash in on pandemic demand.
The ridiculous prices have seen a growth of pet lovers turn to rescue animals. Dogs Trust reported they have had thousands of requests for their rescue pups, including well over one thousand requests to re-home a single dog. Just before lockdown, their contact Centre recorded the busiest weekends on record.
However, charities are growing increasingly wary that some people are deciding to re-home an animal too lightly, especially if they are currently working from home, but will at some point return to the office - and could even fall victim to nefarious smugglers in their rush to adopt. Since lockdown began, Dogs Trust has been inundated with requests from the dog-loving public to rehome.
However, do dog lovers fully understand what they are committing to? Charities are worried some people are forgetting that they will not be working from home forever. Charities have seen a huge increase in people looking to rehome a dog. In May, some charities websites recorded a huge leap and demand has stayed strong since then.
We all know how much companionship a pet can provide. However, some charities fear many are rushing in to buy online with little research and may fall victim to unscrupulous sellers who are cashing in on the demand with soaring prices. The concern is growing as some people may not consider the commitment they are making, but also that many dogs will struggle to cope when their owners return to the office, resulting in them being given up to rescue centres or worse still, abandoned.
Peoples circumstances can change quickly, especially with the current economic climate, but anyone looking to take on a dog to give serious thought to the responsibility and costs that come with owning it.
The RSPCA has seen a huge spike in the number of people inquiring about rescue dogs. During the four months from the beginning of lockdown, the RSPCA’s Find A Pet section of the website had 3,843,089 views compared to 1,768,131 in the same period the previous year - a rise of 117%.
The RSPCA fears a dog welfare crisis and more pressure on charities and rescue centres when people realise they do not have the time or finances to take care of their lockdown puppy. They do not want people to be put off of getting a dog, but simply want them to ensure they're fully aware of the responsibility before taking one on. And they would like them to consider adopting a dog instead of buying one.