UK sees spike in owners giving up lockdown dogs

The Dog Trust, the UK's largest dog welfare charity that works on rehoming dogs, said that it has seen a 35 percent increase in calls related to rehoming their dogs in the last few weeks, according to the BBC.

The charity said that many were reconsidering owning pets that they adopted at the start of lockdowns last year as their lives change post-lockdown, with most COVID-19 measures being lifted on July 19.

According to the BBC, the sales of pets in the UK soared at the beginning of the pandemic when people were spending large portions of their days at home.

The price of puppies rose to the average price of $2,630, more than double the previous average.

The organization told the BBC that traffic to their "giving up your dog" pages on their website has increased more than 180% in July compared to February 2021.

There was also an 100% increase in traffic in July compared to six months earlier in February.

"Following the boom in pet ownership during the pandemic which saw millions of us delighting in the companionship of a dog, today's figures have sadly come as no surprise to us," said Owen Sharp, the Dog Trust's chief executive.

"As owners' circumstances change, puppies grow into boisterous 'teenagers' and the country unlocks, many owners are being forced to reconsider the place in their lives for their pet," he added.

The Dog Trust said it expects to see a large increase in the number of dogs they take in in the next few months, calling it a "looming crisis."

The Pet Food Manufacturers' Association said earlier this year that a total of 3.2 million households in the UK had gotten a pet since the start of the pandemic, with young people between the ages of 16 to 34 driving most of the adoptions.