We all found comfort in different things as we struggled to make the best of life in lockdown. As offices and places of work shut and working from home became the norm, many welcomed a dog into their household. With plenty of time available to spend on walks and zoomies, it was the perfect addition to lift spirits and keep otherwise idle days occupied. Unfortunately, with the return to life without Covid restrictions, many found owning a dog too difficult to juggle with their own responsibilities. Thousands of ‘lockdown dogs’ have been surrendered to rescues across the country, draining their resources as they battle to find loving homes and ultimately save their lives!
Puppy Farms – the painful truth
With families looking for their perfect pooch, they turned to Dog Breeding Establishments or ‘Puppy Farms’ to make their purchase. The high demand meant that establishments holding licences for 300 female breeding dogs could be housing upwards of a thousand animals! Prices soared with breeds with a €500 price-tag pre-lockdown, now fetching €2,000. It’s big business, with some farms crossbreeding specifically for the international market. It can be a dangerous industry too with unhealthy pressure placed on young dogs leading to health defects and deaths. The painful truth is apparent – if the perfect pup is not delivered, they are often discarded!
Smooches for Pooches
All is not lost for our fluffy friends with rescues and volunteers across Ireland working tirelessly to find happy homes and sanctuary for them! There are plenty of heart-warming success stories, like that of Daphne and Addison at Limerick Animal Welfare. Both dogs arrived at the rescue in dire need of help – emaciated, matted coats, covered in mange and exhausted from overbreeding. Housed together and benefitting from the TLC at LAW both have flourished and found their perfect forever homes. It’s the happy ever after that should be afforded to every pooch and with the right support, animal rescues can provide many more.
To support dog rescues throughout the country please go to gofundme.com/f/smooches-for-pooches
