Lincolnshire pet charities have reported an increase in animals needing new homes following lockdowns.
They say there has been a rise in issues with owners not coping with their new pets.
Speaking at the launch of Lincoln’s newest vets, the rescue centres said the pandemic had definitely affected them.
The Lincolnshire Doberman Rescue Society said: “It’s had a massive effect; we have an awful lot of Doberman’s that our rescue have been contacted to help rehome them.”
“It’s not always through cruelty or anything like that just situation changes but certainly there has been an increase, and some of it is down to lockdown”.
The Lincolnshire Greyhound Trust added: “We’ve had a really cracking year last year, we did re-home 205, it’s been really positive, the downside is whether there’s going to be returns.”
“We try to re-home responsibly, we do home visits before we re-home, we talk about the long-term commitment, but we certainly have had one or two more returns this year than in previous years, so that’s, I think a result of the covid situation”.
The Pet Vet opened its doors to its new Lincoln branch in the Carlton Centre retail park, to the delight of many as pet ownership in England has sawed over the past year.
The 5,500 sq ft plot is impressive, with the surgery containing 7 consultation rooms, 3 operating theatres, a dental theatre, an imaging suite (including x-ray, ultrasound and dental x-ray), separate dog and cat wards, and plenty of parking right outside the door.
There was a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday that saw Lincoln City FC club captain Liam Bridcutt, cut the ribbon in front of a whole host of animal charities and pet owners.
In all, 11% of households have taken on new animals. Meaning there are now 17 million pet-owning homes in the UK.
Whether the reason be to help with their mental health, or just to make the house less lonely during lockdown, 5% of people have already who bought a pet during the pandemic have already given in up, usually due to a change in circumstances or because it’s not as easy as they thought it would be.
If you’re struggling to look after your pet then visit : Looking after your pet – PDSA or contact your local rescue centre.