Dog rescue centres desperate for adopters as many hit crisis point

Hundreds of dog rehoming centres are being pushed to a crisis point, according to a new study.

More than 75% of the centres in the UK said they have seen an increase in dogs being brought to them for rehoming - and the same amount said it is becoming more difficult to find new homes.

It means that one in every four rehoming facilities are having to turn dogs away due to lack of space.

Over a third of the shelters said the pandemic hit them "worse than expected" and over half said they are now in a worse position than they were during the peak of the Covid pandemic in 2020.

The study of more than five hundred centres revealed the true impact of the pandemic on dog ownership and the increase in so called 'pandemic pups'.

Ryan O'Meara from Nottinghamshire, a former dog trainer and co-founder of one of the largest dog adoption websites in the UK, carried out the research on behalf of Direct Line Pet Insurance.

"Unfortunately it was very predictable"

"If you acquire a dog via a rescue centre, if you're not suitable for a dog that rescue centre will weed you out so to speak," Mr O'Meara said.

He said: "And very often what was happening is that people that were trying to get a dog maybe from a rescue centre who weren't necessarily being successful, then end up at the breeders who're happy for you to have a dog providing you've got the cash."

"And so very often those sort of dogs end up in rescue in quite short order" he adds.

Many of the rescue centres the team spoke to said there's a "pattern at play".

"People who got a pet during lockdown experienced a change in their circumstances, often due to being furloughed or losing their main source of income, and they had to move as a result" explains Mr O'Meara.

"Dogs are very adaptable, but it takes time. Please don't give up on your pet as it adjusts to its new reality."

He said: "As we return to our old routines our dogs will need time and support to get used to being around their loved ones less often and to being alone for longer periods."

Mr O'Meara adds: "In many cases, this change in routine may manifest itself in the form of separation anxiety or other behavioural problems.

"The key is to work slowly and surely with your pet, providing support and reassurance as they make progress. For many dogs, the change to their routine happened over night, but the solution wont."

Why are dog rescue centres struggling?

• The pandemic impacted the number of people who could volunteer at dog homes

• There has been a drop in donations

• There has been a drop in the number of people adopting dogs

• Many dogs that were acquired during the lockdown are now being abandoned as owners return to work full time or realise they haven't got the capacity to take care of them

• Dogs are becoming harder to rehome, with experts citing separation anxiety and behavioural issues linked to lockdowns as the cause

How to help dog rescue centres:

• Offer to volunteer at your local dog shelter

• If you're ready to take on the responsibility of owning a dog, consider adopting or rehoming a dog rather than buying

• Donate to charities who help to fund the shelters. They include The Dog's Trust and Birmingham Dog's Home.

Madeline Pike, a Veterinary Nurse at Direct Line Pet Insurance, recognised that the pandemic has been "exceptionally tough for all of us" but people must remember it's been "a lot for our pets too."

She said: "What we're unfortunately seeing now is a 'perfect storm' of factors, including a reduction in donations and volunteers, an increase in people giving up their pets and a very noticeable spike in behavioural issues making dogs more likely to be given up and harder to rehomed."

Ms Pike explains how lockdown was a unique situation which caused many people to feel like it was the right time for them to get a dog - but unfortunately now many are realising that they can't provide the care and attention needed.

She adds: "To compound the problem, dogs that were used to being around their humans all day every day are now struggling to adapt to being left at home."