Thread by @Telegraph

The UK's dog population has soared over the past year – but as we emerge from lockdown, will we be equipped to look after them? 🐕🐶🐩

~thread

Over the past 12 months, many impulsively bought or rehomed a pooch.

It's thought that the UK dog population has gone up by at least 10 per cent under lockdown, now totalling well over 11 million

May 2020 saw the biggest increase in searches on the @TheKennelClubUK's Find a Puppy tool: a 237 per cent increase on the previous year.

And as waiting lists for puppies rose four-fold, prices more than doubled
telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer…

On the less cute side, it's been hard to miss the rise in the amount of dog mess on our streets, the horrifying news stories about puppy farms and an increase in related criminal activity
telegraph.co.uk/politics/2021/…

As lockdown restrictions begin to lift, animal welfare organisations are bracing themselves for the inevitable backlash to our pandemic dog mania.

"Covid-19 has likely caused a legacy of longer-term welfare issues for dogs and puppies," says Bill Lambert of @TheKennelClubUK

Based on figures after the 2008 recession, Owen Sharp, chief executive of the @DogsTrust, estimates an extra 40,000 dogs this year are likely to be given up for rehoming.

'And that's at a time when charities like ours are suffering lower levels of income,' he says

In preparation, they and other large organisations are boosting their resources for education and training.

Already the @DogsTrust is fielding calls from owners who aren't coping, putting them in touch with behaviourists and trainers

Sharp also worries that a whole generation of puppies, who have never been left alone for longer than an hour, will suffer separation anxiety as their owners spend longer periods away from home, including returning to work.

And there's also the shock of the busy pub garden...

For many, it may already be too late.

A recent study by @naturesmenu of 1,000 people found that almost a third of them regret buying their dog, and while nearly a fifth of those plan to persevere, a tenth want to give their pet up for adoption

For those who choose to keep their pet, promoting good ownership is imperative because when practised en masse, poor dog care is hard to conceal.

@WeAreDivert spokesman Mark Hall says: "There is more poo than people on the streets of the UK right now"
telegraph.co.uk/women/life/hav…

And with prices rocketing, dog napping, predictably, is also on the rise.

Read the full story by @BoudiccaFox, @claudiarowan and @poppieplatt here ⬇️
telegraph.co.uk/family/pets/br…