by Our image of ourselves as a nation of animal lovers is as ingrained in the British psyche as our love of tea or the Sunday roast. “Animals are wonderful friends,” wrote George Elliot in 1857, and millions clearly agree.
Today, more of us – 53 percent of adults, or 17 million households – own pets than ever before; the pet industry is worth £10 billion and studies often show that most of us not only regard our pets as part of the family, but that a large number – 12 per cent in one survey – love them more than our partner.
But something is going wrong in our relationship with the animals that share our homes. In recent months, there has been a “significant” rise in pet abandonment across Britain, according to the RSPCA, with people unloading animals at unmanageable levels and stretching welfare services to their limits.
The turning point was the pandemic, when a flood of people with time on their hands decided to boost their mental health with a new animal companion and caused the number of pet dogs to rise from nine to 13 million between 2019 and 2022. Now, there Many Among those animals, called “pandemic puppies” in new research from the Royal Veterinary College, serious problems are showing.
A fifth of owners of Covid puppies reported eight or more persistent problems, including high adherence and aggression, and a third said they were very difficult to train. The number of dog attacks recorded by police in England and Wales rose by more than a third between 2018 and 2022.
And the questions aren’t limited to man’s best friend. Due to the cost of living crisis, pet owners from the smallest rodent to the largest reptile are struggling to meet the needs of their animals. Last month, a rabbit was found abandoned in its cage in freezing conditions in Plymouth with a note that read: “Daisy, indoor only rabbit, litter trained. Beautiful. Sadly my relationship ended. I’m sorry.”
Earlier this month, the carcasses of seven giant tortoises were discovered in Ashclyst Forest in Devon. Andrew Highfield, founder of the Turtle Trust, said their poor condition indicated that someone “found these animals and they were very difficult”, citing the “astronomical” cost required to keep them in the subtropical temperatures required. from them.
The RSPCA has warned that the surge in pet ownership fueled by Covid combined with rising costs has created a “perfect storm” of emergencies and abandonment of animal welfare. The charity received 20,999 reports of abandoned animals last year, 5,000 more than in 2020.
There were more than 14,000 dogs, but cats accounted for half of the total – in part, experts say, because many of them went unneutered during the lockdown, which led to a surge in the number of kittens. Exotic pets like snakes, which need to be warmed up, are also found everywhere from ditches to supermarket car parks on a monthly basis.
Many of the abandoned dogs were Pandemic puppies that exhibited behavior that their owners could not cope with. They are usually a constant company and a little socialized with other dogs during the lockdown, they caused their owners to return to the office and to normal life under stress.
The dogs often show medical and behavioral issues related to their origins, says David Bowles, head of public affairs for the RSPCA. “Many first-time owners have unknowingly acquired dogs that were bred in places like Romania, under conditions that would be illegal here,” he says.
“With the huge demand during Covid, people who knew nothing about animals felt that there was a quick buck to be made and started breeding animals. These pets are often traumatized, and problems become more apparent over time.”
Woodgreen Pets Charity, which runs one of Europe’s largest rehoming centers in Cambridgeshire, saw a 48 per cent increase in stray dogs handed in last year, and a 25 per cent increase across all species it works with. “It is an extremely challenging period.
Our shelters, cat units and small pet accommodation are full and we have long lists of pets waiting to come into our care,” says Linda Cantle, the charity’s director of operations. “And, of course, we have fewer people coming forward to provide the new homes they need.”
While most of the RSPCA’s animals are rescued, often in appalling conditions by inspectors investigating complaints of cruelty and neglect, Woodgreen has received a high number of calls directly from owners who cannot cope.
“A lot has been destroyed; the last thing they want to do is give up that pet, but they feel like they can’t do right by it anymore,” says Cantle. “Then there are others who have deep regrets. During the lockdown, they had a lot of time for their pets and were motivated and happy, but then as life went back to normal, pet ownership became more of a challenge and they competed with social activities. The experience didn’t meet their expectations so they don’t need it anymore.”
Think of an abandoned pet, and you may be looking at a status dog such as Bully XL, which will become illegal without an exemption certificate – indeed, the abandonment of these animals is expected to rise after the prevention. But the raised numbers are a desirable pedigree, along with other pets usually in the middle class.
“We have a much greater variety of dog breeds than we did five years ago, everything from French bulldogs to Chihuahuas,” says Cantle. “We also have a significant number of rabbits coming off; they are quite easy to buy on impulse, without appreciating all the facilities they need to keep them warm, fed and happy.”
Lisa* recently came back to Schnauzer, and he referred her to a friend after being called back into the office four days a week.
“I got excited about it, but she was getting more anxious when I was out at work, even though I spent my luck at ‘doggy daycare’,” she says. “I was always coming home to find her weeding and poking everywhere.
“I feel guilty and silly for buying it in April 2020 – I know I’m a cliché, but I honestly thought some of the lifestyle changes brought on by Covid would be permanent. I was so relieved when a friend wanted her – she works from home so the dog is happier.”
There is no doubt that money is a big factor in the rising levels of abandonment. Overall, the cost of owning a dog is estimated to have risen by 12.8 per cent – around £256 – in the past year to around £2,500, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Figures from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home suggest that a family can expect to spend more than £39,078 over a pet’s lifetime: 11 years for a dog, 12-14 years for a cat. The RSPCA has dealt with cases where people were going without meals so they could feed their pets; a situation that led to the creation of pet food banks.
Vet bills are also rising: in 2022, spending on vet fees was £5.3 billion. Dog care bills can easily exceed £1,000, and the average charge for digestive problems is £863, according to pet insurers Animal Friends.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, a recent survey by the charity Dogs Trust revealed that four out of five owners are worried about the cost of their dog’s care – or that some owners are unable to manage it.
“Quality medical care for pets is expensive, and we know in the industry that it affects people’s decision-making about the care of their animals,” says Cat Henstridge, veterinarian.
“Vets are often cast in a villainous role, but we are usually very willing to try to find a way to help people talk to us. We had a cat this week that needed dental work and we contacted the Blue Cross, who agreed to help.”
All this raises the question of whether pet ownership has become too widespread; whether too many of us have bought animals as commodities. The Victorians were the first to make pets, which had previously been the frivolous interest of the upper classes, a part of home life. Dogs in particular were considered to have talents that reflected the most valued values of the era: endurance, loyalty and courage.
But historically, animals have been bred to help humans with tasks such as hunting vermin, pulling plows and retrieving game, and to put them down quickly if they become ill. Until recently they were treated as members of the family, and one in five owners said they like their pets to “keep up with the latest trends” in grooming and clothing, according to marketing agency Mintel.
With modern life so frenetic, it’s clear that more of us should be asking ourselves whether we have the time and energy we need to spend on our pets – especially if they have status in the family .
David Bowles believes that the increase in the number of pets is not a fundamental problem. “There are so many benefits to having a pet, especially companionship, and the RSPCA supports that,” he says. “But we urge people to do their research before they get an animal, because the last thing they should do is find out they don’t have the resources or knowledge to provide for their welfare needs.”
