SO many people are rehoming their dogs

[BruhWhy]

I know of five separate families/people who are trying to find new homes for their dogs. Five! All of them were bought or adopted in the last 3 years.

What's going on? Is it the cost of living? Post-lockdown regret? Is this happening everywhere?

It does seem like cost of living is affecting a lot more people now. People went back to work a while ago so gave up their dogs then.
We took on a rescue dog, and she was costing €140 per month in medication alone, plus insurance, vet plan, food etc. After a lot of work, her meds are down to twice a year, so we were thinking of a second dog. However, as she's getting older, she'll probably need more arthritis meds etc. so we've decided to stick with one. I wish we could take in a lot more, but can't.

Dogs are a massive commitment, we have two, I’m in the office two days a week, so daycare twice a week is £90 a week.

Pet insurance for the two is over £100 a month.

Vet wellness plan for them both £30 a month

Dogs cost a lot of money and are a massive commitment I think during lockdown people just got them without thinking about all the costs above.

They are also quite restrictive:

• we only go to cafes or restaurants that are dog friendly
• only travel in the UK as I can’t bare the idea of not taking them on holiday - if you do go abroad you need to find care for them

If I could I would have a couple more dogs but they do cost a lot and my heart breaks seeing all these dogs go into rescues :( :( :( I just wish people thought about the reality of owning a dog before getting one.

People thought their lockdown wfh lifestyle would last forever.

We looked at getting a dog but we aren't home enough so got cats instead.
People let their hearts rule their heads.

THIS

Dogs are a phenomenal tie.
Like a perpetual toddler that can't be left without a sitter, and who huff and puff if they don't get their morning walk when expected, and who cry pitifully if their favourite person leaves the house. {See pic}
To own a dog, a person needs to be absolutely committed.
Dogs are expensive to keep well, {Pet insurance is high, even if one has never claimed on it}.
Also...so many people bought the ''Wrong type'' for their lifestyle.

I don't think many people realise just how expensive dogs are. The fur love of my life died in April at age 15 (in my arms at home- we paid a vet to come out). She was a collie/lab cross and when I tell people that in her golden years it was approximately £250-£300 a month to keep her (special food, medication, insurance vet plan), they find it hard to believe, and normally say something along the lines of "thank goodness mine doesn't cost that much". Problem is their dogs are still young. In my experience, it's not abnormal for older animals to cost a lot even with insurance. My dog had a chronic health condition and her meds alone were 4k-5k a year, with insurance I paid about 20% of that. I'm not sure how to get this across to people. I knew the possible realities of the expence because I'd had dogs all my life, and I'd watched my mother shell out a small fortune on her dogs over the years. Planning for length of their life is key, I'm not surprise more and more dogs are getting re-homed due to the cost of living crisis.

People forgot dogs were for life not just lockdown. Now the COL is rising and people have to go to the office more dogs are a luxury item been credit crunched.

However a pal was looking for a second dog and looked into getting one of these 'lockdown' dogs but the prices were twice as much as a puppy (from a reputable breeder).

I'm not surprised people are finding does much more expensive than expected. We don't have pets because I don't need the extra commitment right now but I never would have expected a dog to cost as much as some of the figures being mentioned.

2 people I know have rehomed dogs in the last month.

Not lockdown dogs. Both 5+

Much loved dogs. Neither could afford them any more.
They were in a completely different situation 5 years ago when they got the dogs.

They both gave up everything before their dogs, both rwhined via rescue, didn't 'sell' even though they're skint.

It's fucking sad.

We rehomed two dogs last year and fuck I wish we hadn’t. Not only is it about £300 a month for their insurance, basic healthcare and food, one is sick, so she needs lots of vet visits, supervision, extra letting out at night, laundry and clearing up after (and WORRY!) The cost of treatment is covered, but things like special diet and random extras like pro biotics and bandages aren’t. They also have separation anxiety which means they can’t be left (and the health problems mean I haven’t been able to work on it)

It also means that the cost of living combined with a drop in my income can’t be easily managed. Previously, I could have just got a job in a shop or something, but now I can’t just leave the dogs. I do have a job lined up and finding care for them is difficult and expensive and will hugely reduce my take home pay. We also couldn’t just go and do free stuff over the summer because either dogs weren’t allowed in or the sick dog couldn’t be left and was also too sick to go and do free walks and stuff. When I got them, my mother was living nearby and agreed to do occasional care for them do we could have days out in the school holidays, but has spent every school holiday away in it’s entirety AND announced that she will be moving away permanently now.

I should probably rehome them. But my daughter would be beyond devastated and I just can’t bear to. We’re both putting up with hardship we wouldn’t have to if they went (me more so than her, of course) but I still can’t bring myself to send them away. It isn’t their fault! (And it isn’t my daughters. It isn’t even mine. I could afford them when got them, easily. I couldn’t have known my income would halve and prices would increase so much just now)

It makes me feel sick - my dog is my best friend, I would do anything for her!

You are right in that ''Training never ends''.
Everything we do is ''Training'', be it for good or ill with dogs.
So many unsocialised ones about.
One thing that IS good is that Defra have {Temporarily} closed the borders to certain dogs from overseas where indiscriminate breeding and lots of very 'Unstable' dogs were coming from.{Due to health concerns}

People {Often inexperienced} would buy them sight unseen, from a photo, then the dog would be too much for them.

We deliberately did not get a dog during the lockdowns. But now we really want to have a dog. The kids are a bit older, our work patterns now work for dog ownership, we've talked to other dog owners about the pros, cons, cost. We've dog sat for weeks to see how we'd get on. We can afford the costs. We are realistic about the amount of work, cost and restrictions on some parts of our lives. We'd love to rehome a dog but the rules of every reputable re-homing charity mean we are ruled out. We have kids, the dog would need to be left for an hour every day, our garden has railings so isn't secure enough, the list goes on and on. Sigh.

Same!

Put a solid fence up to at least two metres in front of your railings.
Dogs easily escape through railings..Seen it in the Park, where railings are meant to keep dogs out.. slender dogs just trot between them!

There ARE rescues who re-home to people with 'Older' children {but with secure gardens} as DS and I had our very first dog from RSPCA..she wasn't;t what I would have initially chosen, {young, small, female} but they matched her to us.

She was an absolute delight. Lived with us for nearly 12 years. {Lurcher}

We’ve rehomed 2 lockdown dogs. Dog 1 was just over a year old, still had his balls, calluses on his elbows and was in a tiny crate when I first saw him and had rarely been walked. The owner ‘didn’t have time’ for him but had 3 other dogs in the flat. There was no way I was leaving him in the conditions he was living in, it was really grim and he was very very thin. I reported her to the SPCA after I left with him that day. He wasn’t house trained, had fleas as well as worms and an ear infection. The first time his paws touched grass he lay down and had no idea what to do. My older dog loved him from the moment they were introduced. He house trained really quickly and was super quick to learn commands. I do think having an older dog who knew what was expected of him really helped. It took around 6 months to get his weight and general condition to where we wanted to be but strangely for a lab he’s not a greedy dog and can be a picky eater. It makes me so angry the conditions that poor dog was kept in.

Rescue 2 came 6 months ago, he’s also a lab who was a lockdown dog and when the couple returned to work they never had time for him. He had absolutely no manners, was bargey and omg this dog would empty bins, jump on my worktops to get at food and demolish anything edible left lying around. Like rescue one he’s adored by my original dog. They all get on so well and live a very spoiled life. I don’t work, our children have left home and DH runs his business from home otherwise we could never give 3 high energy dogs the exercise that they need. Some people see a cute puppy and never think that one day that puppy will grow up or that you’re making a commitment to an animal for 10+ years.

A. because some people think dogs are accessories and not living feeling beings so they get rid when they are bored.
B. because people are cunts
C. If their owners died and no relatives can take them.
I know someone who has recently given up a 11 year old dog to move abroad. Words fail me.

I read that with my heart in my throat!
Most people aren't as responsible as you.
Lucky dog

This - I made the mistake of looking on pets4homes and the number of dogs for sale because they do not now fit our lifestyle or we realise we cannot give them the time they need - it’s so so sad - I’d rehomed my husband before my darling boys 😄

Our old Labrador died just before the first lockdown. Our young dog was two at the time and missed him so badly that I really wanted another one, mostly, for him. It was the hugely inflated prices and difficulty in finding a suitable dog to re home that stopped us. I would still love another dog but with the rising cost of living I can’t really afford it. It’s a shame as I’m home all day and my youngest dc is 16 but it is what it.

I would happily watch someone’s dog a couple of days a week at mine whilst they were working or walk a dog at lunchtime.

It makes me so sad. I got my rescue dogs when I first moved out at the age of 20, and knew then, that I would have them for life, and what a huge commitment and responsibility that would be. Two kids, four house moves, and 16 years later, the dogs are a massive part of our family, and I couldn't imagine having just given them up due to changes in our lifestyle throughout the years. They're both very, very old now, but the kids have grown up respecting their boundaries, and love them dearly. I know sometimes people's circumstances change beyond their control... forced into unsuitable accomodation due to relationship breakdowns, unexpected child with additional needs, dog becomes aggressive and unpredictable etc, but most people giving up their dogs, seem to be able to do so on a whim, as easily as they bought them. It's so cruel, and there are obviously no repercussions for it. Nothing stopping them going out and buying another cute puppy when they want entertainment for 6 months.

Sad that so many people don't realise what a massive commitment and effort it is, already bad enough that there are so many unfit owners out there who can't be bothered to train their animals. Perhaps there should be controls on breeding too.

Shockingly we - UK- import thousands of appallingly bred dogs from Eastern Europe.
It’s an absolute scandal.
Breeding and Importing definitely needs to be heavily controlled.
Sadly any fool can breed a female dog to a male and sell the puppies, some are sold as young as 5 weeks old.
It’s grim.
Puppy smuggling and vans full of street dogs from overseas are adding to UK problem of unwanted dogs.

Lots of money to be made selling them on to gullible new owners who then want rid.
It should be made to be fiendishly difficult to buy or breed dogs-
But it isn’t.
Overbreeding is a big problem.

Well said . I despair of the human race sometimes

I noticed a few people talking about worrying what would happen to their dog if they died and there was nobody to take them on. Can I just inform people who have this concern, there is a Dog's Trust scheme called Canine Care. Its free. You register your dog with a nominated person who knows your wishes ( and put it in your will if you can, but you don't have to) and tell them all about your dog and its loves and hates. When and if you die before the dog they promise to take the dog. It will be rehomed if possible, and the information you provide helps them match to a brilliant home. If the dog can't be rehomed it stays with them until it dies - they never put a healthy dog down, and it would only be euthanised if that was the best option for its welfare.