They were on the top of everyone’s wish list as people were forced to stay at home during the pandemic. But as reality sets in and the costs stack up, many new dog owners have decided they simply can’t cope.
Many people decided to get a dog in order to ease their loneliness due to the pandemic forcing them to stay at home. Breeders could not keep up with the spike in demand for the puppies, and people were on the waiting list for months. But as it turns out, a lot of people didn’t fully understand what they were getting themselves into.
Taking care of a dog isn’t easy….or cheap either.
In a tragic yet unsurprising turn of events, dog owners with young puppies have decided they need to rehome their pets. Local rescuers have been hit with a flood of requests to rehome their pets, and what’s even more worrying is that the rate of adoption has plummeted. With most rescue centers overloaded, there is simply no place for the puppies to go.
Only The Start
But this might only be the start of the crisis. There is a concern that the number of surrenders will only keep going higher with the local rescue centres unable to help due to their already maxed out capacity.
But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Peter Smith has envisioned a plan to transform a block of land in the Hunter Valley in NSW, Australia into a pristine animal facility and rehoming centre. Included in the proposal are 90 kennels, a dedicated training facility, grooming shed, an office and rehab centre. Essentially, she wants to build the best possible animal facility in the world. She’s also hoping that the local councils will get onboard this initiative.
She has contacted the Cessnock, Maitland, and Lake Macquarie councils in the hopes that the proposed facility can be used to run the council’s animal management services. This comes after the news that the RSPCA is not renewing its contract with local councils for their animal management services.
According to RSPCA, nearly 12% of their dogs had to be euthanized. But Ms Smith hopes that number can be reduced significantly at the proposed new animal facility to as low as 1%.
While a lot of new dog owners are giving up their pets, it seems like not everyone has given up on the cute furry ones just yet.
