Animal rescue organisations under strain as owners cast off COVID pets and designer breeds

Animal rescue organisations under strain as owners cast off COVID pets and designer breeds


In short:

Animal rescue organisations in Canberra say they’re struggling to cope amid a surge in pet surrenders.

Some of the pets being surrendered include designer dog breeds, with the organisations suspecting many people who got dogs during the COVID period are now giving them up.

What’s next?

People looking for a pet are being urged to carefully consider which animal is right for them before making a purchase or choosing to adopt.

Designer dogs purchased during the COVID pandemic are among a growing number of pets being abandoned, as animal rescue organisations grapple with a spike in demand.

In Canberra alone, RSPCA ACT has about 200 pets on its surrender list – double the organisation’s local capacity.

“This year compared to last year, there’s been a 30 to 40 per cent increase of animals coming into care, so it’s been really significant,” chief executive Michelle Robertson said.

RSPCA ACT says some dogs remain in the shelter for more than a year.(ABC News: Lily Nothling)

Pet ownership boomed during COVID while people were stuck at home.

“For the first time in our existence, we had more animals being adopted out than animals coming in,” Ms Robertson said.

But the tide has turned, and the Canberra shelter does not have space to house all the animals in need of care.

Ms Robertson said some of the abandoned dogs were bought during the pandemic but were not properly trained or socialised.

Michelle Robertson says the organisation is seeing a 30 to 40 per cent increase in surrenders.(ABC News: Lily Nothling)

“So you come home and your couch is shredded, or your garden has been dug up, because your pet doesn’t receive sufficient mental stimulation,” she said.

“And then some people say, ‘it’s too hard’, and ‘it doesn’t fit in our lifestyle anymore’, so they wish to surrender their pet.”

The cost-of-living crisis is also taking a toll on pet owners — with the price of desexing, microchipping and unexpected vet bills quickly adding up.

“It’s heartbreaking to have to make a decision whether you’re going to be able to feed yourself or feed your pet,” Ms Robertson said.

 RSPCA ACT has about 200 pets on its surrender list.(ABC News: Lily Nothling)

Pedigree pooches given up

The picture is similarly grim at ACT Rescue and Foster (ARF), an organisation that rehomes unwanted dogs.

With surrender rates skyrocketing and adoptions falling, some animals are remaining with foster carers for over a year before finding permanent owners.

ACT Rescue and Foster president Angharad Lodwick with Maggie the groodle.(ABC News: Lily Nothling)

President Angharad Lodwick said there had been a shift in the type of pets being abandoned.

“When I first started volunteering with ARF around 2020, most of the dogs that we would see … being surrendered were your staffies, your bully breeds,” Ms Lodwick said.

She said they were now seeing lots of very small dogs, oodles and purebred dogs, like pedigree dachshunds and pedigree beagles.

“Very expensive dogs that four years ago would have been unthinkable to see on our website,” Ms Lodwick said. 

“A lot of these dogs perhaps didn’t come from registered breeders, turn up with health conditions and maybe some behavioural things that the owners weren’t expecting when they rushed out and bought their COVID puppy.”

A sign on a dog kennel for a pitbull called Nova up for adoption at RSPCA ACT.(ABC News: Lily Nothling)

Not an impulse buy

Animal organisations are pleading with people not to view pets as an impulse purchase.

Ms Lodwick urged prospective owners to do their research about suitable breeds and reputable breeders – or consider adopting a dog instead.

A dachshund in the care of ACT Rescue and Foster.(ABC News: Lily Nothling)

“It can be really surprising and disheartening when your very cute puppy starts growing up and they have some significant health issues, like skin conditions, eye issues, hip dysplasia, facial problems that can be very expensive to correct,” she said.

“Try to look beyond falling in love with one puppy’s face, but think about how to set that puppy up for a lifetime of success,” she said.

“For some dogs, that could be 15 to 20 years with you.”

One of the roughly 200 pets in the care of RSPCA ACT.(ABC News: Lily Nothling)

Animal rescue organisations under strain as owners cast off COVID pets and designer breeds

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