RSPCA warn 'lockdown puppies' will hit struggling rescue centres
The charity has already dealt with more than 1,500 dog incidents across Wiltshire and Hampshire.
In the first nine months of this year the RSPCA has dealt with a staggering 45,181 dog incidents - 452 of those have been in Wiltshire with 1,090 in Hampshire
The charity fears next year could see a big increase in 'lockdown puppies' bought as company during the pandemic.
One fear is the end of the furlough scheme and deepening recession will mean families can no longer afford to are for them.
Whilst people that have been working from home and are now returning to the office may no longer have time for their pet.
The charity is worried the impending dog welfare crisis will put pressure on its already-stretched resources at rescue centres like the one at Ashley Heath near Ringwood.
During lockdown, Google searches for 'puppies near me' increased sixfold (650%) with 15,000 searches compared to 2,000 in January 2020.
Meanwhile, Government figures show the numbers of licences issued for the commercial import of dogs more than doubled from 5,964 (June - August 2019) to 12,733 for the same three-month period this year.
The RSPCA say the figures suggest that this rise in demand is fuelling a "worrying trend in breeding and importing of puppies" which can in turn cause suffering to young dogs.
PLEA TO DO RESEARCH
The charity is urging families to do lots of research and ensure they can commit long-term to a dog before bringing one home
RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood said:
"We have seen a rise in people searching for dogs to adopt during lockdown, which is fantastic, but at the same time, there appears to be a rise in people looking to buy puppies."
"We know that there are not enough puppies bred in the UK to meet the demands of those who want to buy them and, worryingly, there appears to be a surge in puppies coming in from outside the UK. The problem with this is that, although breeders from countries like Romania are licensed, we have no way of checking the conditions those animals are being kept in and we fear that sales like these could be fuelling cruel puppy farms as well as exposing puppies to long and stressful journeys."
CONSIDER REHOMING A RESCUE
The RSPCA is championing the benefits of rescuing instead of buying a puppy and have dubbed this month 'Adoptober'.
RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood said:
"We are all used to being able to buy whatever we want when we want it but we're urging people to thoroughly do their research before committing to getting any dog and to make sure they don't get caught out by people acting illegally or irresponsibly. We have lots of dogs waiting for their forever homes so please do consider getting a rescue dog. Although it is really tempting to buy a puppy, those from abroad may have been bred in poor conditions, leaving them with potentially serious medical and behavioural problems whereas adopting from somewhere like the RSPCA where staff have really got to know the dog, means you get the advice and support you need."
"If families would still prefer to buy a dog, we're encouraging them to use The Puppy Contract. This is a free online tool that will help find responsible breeders and a happy, healthy dog."
The RSPCA is the UK's biggest rehomer, finding 39,178 homes for pets last year - that's 107 a day, or four an hour.