One in four new owners admitted they have considered giving up their puppy within the first two weeks, new research shows.
Experts are calling the surge in pet abandonment a crisis of “puppy blues”, in which nearly six in ten (58 per cent) have reported feeling anxious, overwhelmed or unprepared in the early stages of having a pet.
It comes after the RSPCA found record levels of pet abandonment in the UK, with 22,503 cases reported last year - the highest since the pandemic.
Dr Samantha Gaines, Head of Companion Animals at the RSPCA, said:"Sadly, last year, incidents of animal abandonment being reported to the RSPCA reached a five year high. We know it's a really tough time for pet owners - and the cost of living crisis has made things exceptionally challenging, with our Animal Kindness Index revealing that 74% of owners think caring for their pet is more expensive than a year ago. But dumping an animal is never, ever the answer."
Angela Spenley-Roberts, a 51-year-old from Cheltenham and owner of two patterdale terriers, explained that the cost of living crisis and the rise in vet bills are all factors which could lead people to abandon their pets.
She described how her dogs Molly and Roco started eating the walls during her workday, and she was always having to clean up after them. She said she had “a lack of support and understanding, whereby it's quite overwhelming when you have multiple puppies”.
Despite the difficulties, Ms Roberts found ways of managing her pets with crate training and listening to sounds to get them accustomed to noises like fireworks or doorbells. Since then, she said they have become her “most joyful best friends for life”.
Lorna Winter, co-founder of the Zigzag dog training app, which was behind the research, said “every overwhelmed dog owner is a missed opportunity for prevention”.
The UK dog behaviour expert said: “These early behavioural challenges that you get with getting a puppy, like toileting, chewing, separation anxiety, jumping up - all these things are completely normal, but I think what we're seeing is that people are just not quite prepared.
“They haven't quite understood the true reality of what it takes to have this living, breathing little puppy in your home, and that can feel hugely overwhelming.”
While bringing a puppy home is a huge responsibility, the survey of 500 dog owners suggests only half were confident in preventing common issues like chewing and barking, and nearly one in five did little or no research before getting a puppy. Moreover, almost a quarter (23 per cent) waited until after the first month to start training.
She described how “a lot of owners reach breaking point”, likening the challenges of dealing with a puppy as similar to having a baby in terms of sleep deprivation and fitting them around busy schedules.
The Cats Protection charity added that it has taken in more than 26,000 cats which were given up or abandoned in the last 12 months. This included 3,000 from unwanted litters, more than 1,000 due to owner deaths, and more than 1,000 due to care costs.
The London Fire Brigade estimates £686,475 was spent on animal rescue call-outs in the year to June, a rise from £261,253 in 2020.
Ms Winter explained dogs are likely to live for 10 to 15 years, adding: “This is a big commitment. This isn't a handbag that you can just give away to a charity shop, or a pair of shoes that you can pass on.”
She said people should “think carefully about if that is the right thing for your family at this time” as well as the rewards, as “a lack of preparation can often lead to that heartbreak later on”.
