RSPCA warns 'lockdown puppies' could overwhelm local rescue centres
The RSPCA is worried that as life returns to normal in the East families will no longer be able to cope with their 'lockdown puppies'.
The animal charity is worried that already-struggling rescue centres in the region could find themselves overwhelmed as life begins to return to normal.
They added that as well as families returning to work and school, the coming recession may also mean some people can't afford to continue looking after dogs bought during the pandemic.
The charity have dealt with 800 dog-related in Norfolk this year alone, that's 1,185 in Essex and 504 in Suffolk.
In total 189,800 reports related to dogs were made to its emergency hotline last year.
They worry that next year could be even worse.
During lockdown, Google searches for 'puppies near me' increased by 650%, with 15,000 searches made compared to the 2,000 in January last year.
They say Government figures also show the numbers of licences issued for the commercial import of dogs more than doubled from 5,964 (June-August 2019) to 12,733 for the same three-month period this year.
RSPCA experts say these rises raise concerns about an impending dog welfare crisis which could be on the horizon for 2021 as families return to normal life.
They say that coupled with a fear that the end of furlough and the deepening recession will hit families hard and some may no longer be able to afford their pets.
The charity's Chief Executive, Chris Sherwood, said: "We have seen a rise in people searching for dogs to adopt during lockdown, which is fantastic, but at the same time, there appears to be a rise in people looking to buy puppies.
"We know that there are not enough puppies bred in the UK to meet the demands of those who want to buy them, and worryingly, there appears to be a surge in puppies coming in from outside the UK.
"The problem with this is that, although breeders from countries like Romania are licensed, we have no way of checking the conditions those animals are being kept in and we fear that sales like these could be fuelling cruel puppy farms as well as exposing puppies to long and stressful journeys.
"We are all used to being able to buy whatever we want when we want it but we're urging people to thoroughly do their research before committing to getting any dog and to make sure they don't get caught out by people acting illegally or irresponsibly. We have lots of dogs waiting for their forever homes so please do consider getting a rescue dog. Although it is really tempting to buy a puppy, those from abroad may have been bred in poor conditions, leaving them with potentially serious medical and behavioural problems whereas adopting from somewhere like the RSPCA where staff have really got to know the dog, means you get the advice and support you need.
"If families would still prefer to buy a dog, we're encouraging them to use The Puppy Contract. This is a free online tool that will help find responsible breeders and a happy, healthy dog."
During October the charity is shining a light on its 'Adoptober' campaign to raise awareness of the animals they look after and promoting the benefits of adopting a rescue animal.