Why people are giving up their dogs after COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted

During COVID-19, a splurge in dog adoptions was noticed. People were alone in their homes and needed a companion, this was when dogs came to use. Now, after the coronavirus restrictions have been lifted, people are thinking of giving up their dogs.

A dog welfare charity, The Dogs Trust reported a 35% increase in calls about giving up dogs in recent weeks. Pet sales saw a significant increase during the pandemic, and the prices also doubled. Now, after COVID-19 measures are being lifted, people are rethinking their decision of keeping a pet.

There could be multiple reasons for this. It could be because the routine of people is changing, and they are finding it unsuitable to leave their dog alone at home. As people are returning to offices and schools, they do not have leisure time to spend with their pets and are finding it difficult to adjust.

On the other hand, the change in routine is difficult on the dogs’ end too. They could experience separation anxiety after having their owners inside all year long and then seeing them leave all of a sudden.

 More than half of new pet owners are between the age brackets of 16 to 34. Ever since the breakout of the virus, 3.2 million households in the United Kingdom had taken in a pet. This shows the drastic increase in the trend, and now as people are turning to give up on their pets, it could be worrying for adoption and welfare centers. There could be multiple complications that these organizations will have to face and they will have to smartly handle the situation at hand.

The Dogs Trust said that the page of their website ‘giving up your dog’, seen an increase of more than 180% in traffic as compared to the visits on the website before the pandemic.

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