PETS
Having a dog in your life can be a very rewarding experience, however it is also a lifelong commitment. Adam Levy, Regional Manager at Dogs Trust explains why it is important for potential owners to be fully informed before bringing a dog into their lives
LOCKDOWN DOGS I n 2020 there was a 62% increase in the number of enquiries Dogs Trust received from people wanting to adopt a dog. With families spending more time together at home during lockdown, it is understandable that this would seem like a good time to get a pet. However, with restrictions beginning to lift, we would advise potential owners to think about postlockdown life and whether they will be able to cope with the demands of having a dog. Originally, we anticipated around 40,000 dogs would be at risk of being abandoned because of the pandemic. While the extension of furlough and lockdown has kept many of us at home, we have not yet experienced a huge influx of ‘lockdown puppies’ coming into our care, however the full effects of the pandemic are yet to be felt. We are already starting to see signs of this as more dogs come into our care as their owners return to the workplace and spend more time away from home, while others have lost their job and can no
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longer afford to are people We urge potential continue caring who prefer owners to follow for their dog. purchasing We would a dog from a our responsible encourage With purchasing advice breeder. potential dog a huge rise owners to keep in demand an open mind about the type for dogs there has been of dog they welcome into significant increase in the their home. You may have online sale of puppies a particular dog in mind; and dogs, which has however, there might be meant it is all too relevant factors like living easy to be scammed environment, location, size into buying a pet of family etc. that mean you which may not be could be better suited to a what it seems. different size or breed of dog. An ongoing and At Dogs Trust we would very serious issue always advocate adopting a that faces dogs and rescue dog, however there potential owners is
the illegal trade of puppies which Dogs Trust has been calling on the Government to put a stop to for more than six years. During that time, Dogs Trust has been running its Puppy Pilot programme, which supports puppies intercepted at the ports by the APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency), providing care and rehabilitation for them prior to finding them new homes. Puppies smuggled into the UK illegally are generally under the legal minimum of 15 weeks of age and are imported to be sold onto unsuspecting buyers with either no paperwork or falsified paperwork and often without having received the necessary treatments, including rabies vaccination. These puppies are forced to
