Concerns raised about lockdown pets after South Yorkshire owners abandoned dozens of animals

A total of 88 animals were reported as abandoned in the county during the last two months of 2020, prompting fears that some of the pets adopted during the first two national lockdowns could be “left out in the cold.”

And as the country enters a third national lockdown that is expected to last until at least mid-February, animal welfare charity, the RSPCA, is asking people to consider whether they will be able to look after an animal in the long-term before taking on such a commitment.

Dermot Murphy, head of the RSPCA’s animal rescue teams, said: “During the lockdown there have been reports of a rise in people buying or adopting new pets, often for the very first time.

"Whilst it’s great that so many people have become pet owners and have found their pet to be a real source of comfort during these challenging times, we are concerned that some people may have bought a pet on impulse without considering how their lifestyle might change once the pandemic ends.

"On top of that, we are facing real economic uncertainties, and, as in previous recessions, people may simply find themselves unable to afford their pet.

“The last thing we want to see is animals dumped and left out in the cold so we’d urge anyone who is struggling to care for their pets to please reach out to friends, family and charities for support instead.”

A poll by the RSPCA, conducted by YouGov revealed that just over one in ten (11 per cent) pet owners had taken on a pet during lockdown and, of those, nearly one in ten (9 per cent) said that their pet had been more expensive than they had expected. Just over one in 20 (6 per cent) were worried about being able to afford them in the future.

A third of GB adults who own a pet (33 per cent) said they were worried that pets bought during lockdown will be abandoned if people returned to work and 31 per cent said they were concerned that pets will be dumped if people were struggling.

Mr Murphy added: “We would always urge anyone considering getting a pet to thoroughly do their research to make sure they can give them the time, money and care they need for the rest of their lives.

"As the impact of the pandemic puts a strain on people’s finances and as many people start to return to work or some kind of normality, the fear is that we will see a surge in abandoned and neglected animals coming into our care.”

Data from the RSPCA has revealed that the charity saw a 68 per cent rise in unique views to its Find a Pet section of the website between March 23 and October 27 with 30,466,023 views.

Google keyword searches for ‘Puppies near me’ increased 650 per cent between January to July 2020, compared with the previous year.

‘Adopting a dog’ saw a 204 per cent increase in searches, while ‘kittens near me’ saw an 188 per cent increase from previous year.

Government figures show that the numbers of licences issued for the commercial import of dogs rose 87 per cent from 14,075 (May-September 2019) to 26,4461 (for the same period in 2020).

READ MORE:

- Shameful number of abandoned animals reported to RSPCA across South Yorkshire since lockdown

- Sheffield RSPCA worker rescues cute kitten found dumped in bin liner

- RSPCA appeals for information after extremely skinny dog found in Sheffield

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a digital subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.