Around 22% of all puppies become ill or die before they turn one – according to new Kennel Club research. The lockdowns led to an “explosion” in people looking for pets, which would later lead to an increase in adoptions with dog and cat shelters said to be overwhelmed. During the pandemic, welfare standards reportedly dropped as more and more people turned to social media to buy their new furry friends. Many did not have the opportunity to meet their puppy before buying it or check the reliability of its family and breeder personally. The Kennel Club has released new research, published with The Telegraph, which outlines the problems facing the pet industry. One in five puppies gets sick or dies before their first birthday, the nonprofit found. In the past five years, there has been a “triple increase” in people turning to social media for pets. Around a third, 31%, even buy puppies without meeting them first, according to the Kennel Club survey. Some pet owners have been defrauded by unscrupulous breeders during the pandemic (Image: Renfrewshire Council) The Telegraph reported: “One in nine dogs are now also collected from a neutral site – a practice common during lockdown when travel restrictions were in place – enabling unethical breeders to hide their poor practices.” Unscrupulous breeders are able to “exploit animals by lowering welfare standards,” the newspaper added. The survey, of 3,000 dog owners, found that one in five puppies become ill or die within the first year. For dogs bought before their new owner even meets them, that number rises to one in three. 22% of all puppies get sick or die in their first year of life (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto) The remnants of the coronavirus pandemic combined with the cost of living crisis mean we have now reached a ‘perfect storm’, says the Kennel Club. The organization found that 30% of dog owners are worried about whether or not they can keep their pups as the cost of living rises. Mark Beazley, chief executive at The Kennel Club, told the Telegraph: “Thousands of puppies and dog owners are suffering and this research really paints a damning portrait of our puppy-buying nation. “The virtual puppy buying habits normalized during the lockdown – which allowed shady breeders to thrive – combined in a perfect and terrible storm with the cost of living crisis.
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“This means thousands of people who have been defrauded are now struggling to care for dogs with health and behavioral problems who are unfortunately victims of this unprecedented situation. “For anyone thinking of getting a dog, avoid this pain and incredible inconvenience and make sure you find a responsible breeder who puts your dog’s well-being above all else.” Contact our news team by emailing us at [email protected] For more stories like this, check out our news page.
