Ad Blocker Detected
Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.
After a year of lockdown and the surge in puppy purchases in the UK, pet owners face a number of unique challenges that emerged during the pandemic.
The study by the animal wellness expert Itch shows that a quarter (25%) of Britons are constantly scared of theft when they walk their dogs, including unusual consequences for pet owners due to the pandemic.
It seems that dogs are unfortunately becoming a commodity in 2021, and while dog sales are at an all-time high, some Brits are being pushed out of the market. One in five (19%) says that they haven’t had a four-legged friend in their life because they are unaffordable. 7% admit that they want to buy a dog but cannot afford the new price of a pandemic. The research also found that dogs purchased in 2016 or earlier averaged £ 533 and rose to £ 1,160 in 2020, a 71% increase.
In addition to an increase in pet sales, pet theft has also increased. The research found that two fifths (42%) of dog owners do not let their puppies out of their sight and almost one third (32%) even feel it is uncomfortable to let their dogs roam the garden alone.
It appears that pet owners have put in place a number of measures to keep their pet safe. Many choose to keep their dog on a leash (26%) or not to walk their dog at night (24%). Another in 20 (5%) bought a rape alarm and another 7% bought a GPS tracker for their dog.
While people struggled with toilet paper shortages over the past year, owners struggled to buy wet and dry dog food (27%), arrange veterinary appointments (17%) and even arrange appropriate day care (10%).
Top 10 Items Dog Owners Had Problems Purchasing / Organizing During The Pandemic:
Zoe Costigan, Itch’s in-house veterinarian, said, “The research shows how the pandemic has affected the lives of dogs and their owners more than we expected, and the huge increase in dog purchases is also linked to its own set of problems .
“It is sad to hear that many dog owners have not been able to organize veterinary appointments and also not be able to arrange flea and worm treatments. There have been many additional concerns for pet owners as a result of the pandemic, but access to a regular parasite protection system, which is so important to your pet’s health, shouldn’t be any of them.
“Itch’s personalized flea and worm treatments, as well as nutritional supplements, are conveniently ordered online and delivered via the mailbox via a monthly subscription service. That means you have less to worry about.
