Christ Yoder
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People claim the dogs they acquired during the lockdown are stray, so rescue centers are welcoming them after failing to sell them online, have warned charities and rescue shelters. animals.
Figures for March revealed more than 3.2 million pets were purchased by UK households during the lockdown. Since the Covid restrictions were lifted and people started returning to the office, charities have reported a growing trend of people abandoning their pandemic pets because they don’t have so much time for them.
Many of these animals were purchased online and their true origins and medical issues have not been disclosed. They often have a higher incidence of behavior and health problems and are therefore more difficult to relocate.
Shelters and charities are reporting that owners who no longer want their pets are trying to sell them online through websites such as Gumtree and Pets4Homes in an attempt to get back what they paid for the dog.
Ira Moss, the founder of the charity All Dogs Matter, told The Independent: “We have seen an increase in the number of dogs over the past two weeks, and we think 90% of the time people have pressured to sell the dogs. first rather than getting them into charities.
“Dog sitters have received calls from vets who say a member of the public has said they found a stray dog, but it’s often by people who can’t bother to wait for help. rescue organizations or who are embarrassed to hand over the dog.
“When a dog sitter picks up a dog, they scan a microchip and the person on the chip can claim the dog. But sometimes you call them and they say they sold the dog some time ago, or the number doesn’t work.
Moss said many people hadn’t thought about buying a locked puppy and are now struggling to keep up financially or experiencing behavioral issues due to lack of training and socialization.
And, as dogs tend to lose value as they age, many have been sold online multiple times before they get to the charity’s door, leading to a series of issues, including separation anxiety and confusion, Moss warned.
Hope Rescue, a Rhondda Cynon Taf-based animal charity, told the BBC the number of dogs dropped off at its rescue center in Pontyclun was the highest in its 15-year history.
The association said it also discovered that some dog owners called a dog sitter and claimed their own pet was a stray animal, or took the dogs directly to a rescue center, claiming that they had found them abandoned.
Sara Rosser, head of welfare, said that in the last week alone five dogs had entered the center which they knew to be fake stray dogs, but the number “could be much higher”. This means “fake” stray dogs skip the line before dogs that are genuinely abandoned, she added.
Moss urged people to turn to charities for help rehousing their unwanted dogs. “It’s not just a car that you sell online. A lot of people think that they are just going to go into a kennel, but it is better for them to go to a kennel with professionals for about a week than to impersonate the houses.
