During the national lockdown, vets have seen a major increase in the purchase of pets – however the spike in the cost of living has resulted in pets being neglected and returned.
Many people recieved furlough pay in lockdown ; this extra money meant people could afford to get pets to cure their boredom.
Once the UK came out of lockdown, there was then an economic crisis as many businesses suffered and the cost of living has rocketed.
This meant that these animals who were used to constant attention were being abandoned, and taken back to vets and shelters.
This problem has caused charities and vets to be over run, so the animals are left to suffer as less help is available than there would have been in pre-covid times.
Speaking to Registered Veterinary Nurse Amanda Goane, I enquired about how veterinary practice’s are struggling.
She stated “We have seen a huge increase in people wanting to register new pets since lockdown but since Brexit, there has been a national shortage of Veterinary Surgeons. This has created a perfect storm of a pet boom and not enough Vets to take care of them.
Since people have returned to work and the cost of living has rocketed, affording to care for pets is having to become less of a priority for people and fewer pets are getting insured. Shelters and charities are full to capacity and we are seeing an alarming increase in animals being abandoned.
Just last weekend a young dog was presented having been found in a field. Our practice will take on these cases to treat and work with authorities to find homes but this comes at quite a cost to the practice.
We hope to see things improve for the welfare of the animals and because of the toll this is taking on staff but at present, we can’t see an end to it.”