Lockdown led to a huge increase in demand for puppies. But as people start to return to work, there is concern that ‘lockdown buyers’ will no longer have time to care for their new furry friends.
Karen Moss, who has fostered over 50 dogs for the Harrogate-based charity Miss Mollies Rescue, told the Stray Ferret she was concerned there could be an increase in owners returning adopted dogs. She said:
“There was definitely an increase in people wanting dogs during lockdown. People found they had more time on their hands and wanted to get out and about walking and found it the perfect opportunity to get a dog, which in most cases they have always wanted but working full-time was not ideal and never would be.
“There are rescue centres that are now having to take back dogs and puppies that people adopted during lockdown. We have been ok so far but when lockdown hit we had to close our charity shop, which impacted us financially so if we do get an increase in dogs it will be a worry.”
Karen Moss told us that she spends up to 18 months getting dogs ready to go to new homes.
“No dog is the same, I have to figure out how to get them to respond, some come quickly others take a lot of time. I have one dog at the moment that is now ready for a new home after 18 months… he couldn’t look at me when he first came, but now when someone comes to visit he will practically sit on their knee.”
Miss Mollies currently has a range of dogs looking for a new home for life. The Stray Ferret will be running a monthly ‘Lonely Pets’ page where you can find a wide variety of animals that are looking for a loving home.
