The past 6 months have seen an extraordinary rise in dog ownership in the UK. My family have 2 dogs and we have noticed that our local dog walking areas have recently become packed with more then just the usual residents walking their much-loved pets. It feels that everyone now owns a pooch!
Back in March at the beginning of the lockdown, the UK public were told to stay home and only go out for essential reasons such as food shopping and one hour of daily exercise. Dogs suddenly became hot property with many people rushing out to buy a pet during the pandemic, not only as a source of comfort, but as a justified motivation to keep fit. A new dog owner told me, “The fact I need to go out to walk my pet, makes the hour of exercise much more enjoyable as I now have company, and a valid reason to get out of the house.”
Another cause that saw people flock to get dogs was the mental health benefits they bring. In particular, reducing the levels of stress and
depression which is acutely prevalent at this time. The “Help Guide” quotes that dogs can help “Reduce anxiety…and can help you become more mindful.”
Following on from the increase in demand it should come as no surprise that the price for dogs has gone up as well. Despite this however, the requests for our favourite pets are still rising, which indicates the benefits that they are having on society as a whole.
The big question from this rapid rise in dog lovers though is, will people still be interested in their mutts when the pandemic is over, or will the attraction wane when we get back to our normal lives?
