NEW research has found that more and more pet owners are having second thoughts, meaning many re-homing centres are facing a huge rise in pets in their care.

The lockdown 'puppy boom' is causing a crisis at animal shelters across the country. Since the initial lockdown, demand for kittens and puppies soared as people looked for four-legged companions during the pandemic.

Pets4Homes saw seven million pet owners searching for a four-legged friend at the peak of the puppy boom in May 2020. According to the Pet Food Manufacturers' Association, around 3.2 million households have welcomed a new pet since the start of the pandemic, leading to a 23 per cent increase in pet ownership last year.

How many lockdown puppies have been given up?

Dogs Trust reported a 50 per cent rise in pet owners calling to hand over their dogs between May and July 2020. The long-lasting effects of the pandemic could see as many as 25,000 dogs abandoned over the next five years according to the Battersea Covid Research Project.

Cheltenham Animal Shelter has recently seen a huge increase in the number of animals coming into its care.

Nicky Spanswick, operations manager said: "When comparing a typical day in January 2021 to today, we can see a 34 per cent increase on the total number of animals being cared for at the shelter and 60 per cent more dogs."

petGuard, who have provided pet insurance for over 37 years, has been looking to highlight the great work done by animal shelters throughout the pandemic.

Alex Bennett, head of marketing, said: “As a nation of pet lovers, it’s no wonder that so many of us looked towards the company of a cat or dog during lockdown. However, so many of these animals are now having to be cared for by the incredible staff at Cheltenham Animal Shelter and other re-homing centres across the country and it’s important that we recognise the amazing work they do.”

Why are people giving up their pets?

There’s no single reason why so many people are giving up their pets. It may be that they’ve discovered they are actually allergic to their pets, they have less time to spend with their pet after returning to work or they’ve had second thoughts over getting a pet.

Battersea Dogs Home found that almost a third of people who got a pet in lockdown were first-time pet owners. It may be that for many people who bought a pandemic puppy, they just weren’t prepared for the commitment of owning a pet.

Research from the Kennel Club found that one in four of pet owners admitted to doing little research when buying a puppy in lockdown.