For many, the pets that gave them companionship through the pandemic are no longer affordable. But there are charities out there offering help this Christmas
By Laura Kelly
Rocky has big brown eyes, a winning smile and a hopeful nose for treats. A 10-year-old black labrador with enormously expressive eyebrows, he’s an immediate charmer. And 10 days ago, thanks to the cost-of-living crisis, he lost his home.
“Rocky had been with his previous family throughout his life and was a very, very much-loved family pet. But like many of the population just now, his owners were struggling with the cost of living and the future being a bit more uncertain financially,” says Sandra Downie, manager of the Dogs Trust rehoming centre in Glasgow.
No longer able to offer the life they wanted to give him, Rocky’s family had to make the awful decision to give him up, so he’s found himself in the care of Downie and her team. As the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, Dogs Trust normally cares for around 14,000 dogs across its network of 21 rehoming centres in the UK and one in Dublin.
“It was just horrific for them,” Downie says. “Because they loved him so much, they realised the best they could do for Rocky was to ask us to find another home for him. A home that could give him everything in life that they were going to have to miss out on. So, it was an incredibly selfless act that brought Rocky into our care.”
It’s often said that pets become part of the family. You’ve probably heard the truism so many times you’ve forgotten what it really means. The emotional weight it carries. If that’s the case for you, stop right now and look your dog (or cat, or bird, or rabbit) in the eye. Then imagine having to say goodbye.
A high price
After the last few years of pandemic fear, lockdowns, bereavements and increasing economic hardship, we’ve relied on our fluffy pals to get us through. In 2020 and 2021, demand for puppies went through the roof. Before the pandemic, the average price of a dog was £876, according to the online marketplace Pets4Homes. By March 2021, that had risen to £2,237. As workers have gone back to offices and life has normalised, so too have pet prices. By April this year, the average cost to buy a dog was down to £1,329.
That’s still more than five times the cost of adopting a puppy from Dogs Trust, and more than six times the cost of taking in an adult dog like Rocky. Every dog rehomed by the charity is vaccinated, microchipped and neutered, and goes home with a new lead and collar, starter pack of food, and four weeks’ free insurance. All of that will s
