Experts warn of 'major dog welfare crisis' after surge in number of animals sold online in Derbyshire

In November, there were 985 reports of dumped and unwanted animals to the RSPCA’s cruelty line – including 14 in Derbyshire.

And the charity believes this is only likely to increase given the demand for 'lockdown puppies’ earlier in the Covid-19 crisis.

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RSPCA dog welfare expert Dr Samantha Gaines said: “There was a huge surge in demand for dogs during lockdown as families made the most of spending more time at home.

"What concerns us is what’s happening to these ‘lockdown puppies’ now and what will happen to them over the coming months.

“We’re worried that while many families will have considered the long-term commitment of taking on a dog, some may not have been thinking post-lockdown about how they’ll care for their new pet when they return to work or how they’ll pay for them if they should be hit by the recession.

"We expect that we’ll see a major dog welfare crisis this year as huge numbers of dogs are relinquished to rescue centres, sold on online or even abandoned; with struggling charities forced to pick up the pieces."

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Last winter, the charity received 4,650 reports of abandoned animals including 78 in Derbyshire.

“We also have concerns that many dogs who have got used to having their owners at home may struggle to adapt once furloughing ends and people begin to migrate back to the office,” Dr Gaines added.

"We know that one of the major reasons dogs are relinquished is due to behaviour problems and research suggests that separation related anxiety may affect 85 per cent of dogs.

"This could result in more dogs coming into rescue centres as owners return to work and they struggle to cope.”

Pets4Homes, one of the UK's largest online pet marketplaces, identified that demand for puppies was 51 per cent greater than dogs aged one or older between July and September last year.

A total of 466,601 dogs have been advertised on the site so far, with average prices increasing by 131 per cent.

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