The RSPCA explained that the data shows there's been a surge in pet ownership during lockdown. "Google keyword searches for ‘Puppies near me’ increased 650% between Jan-Jul 2020. ‘Adopting a dog’ saw a 204% increase in searches, ‘kittens near me’ an 188% increase from the previous year," they shared. "Government figures show that the numbers of licenses issued for the commercial import of dogs rose 87% from 14,075 (May-September 2019) to 26,4461 (for the same period this year)."

The rise in pet ownership has also been confirmed by the UK's Pet Food Manufacturers' Association in their Covid-19 Pet Survey. According to the survey, 35 percent of young adults (that is to say people aged 24 to 35) confirmed they got a new pet or were planning to get one. That means that around 2.1 million (aka 19 percent) of young people have already got themselves a pet while in lockdown while a further 1.8 million Brits (16 percent) were planning to do so.

Meanwhile, the online marketplace Pets4Homes said that the demand for puppies rose by 104 percent compared to the prior year at the peak of lockdown (i.e. May 2020). 

The head of the RSPCA's animal rescue teams, Dermot Murphy, said that even though it's wonderful that so many people are adopting pets, there are still some issues with this. "Whilst it’s great that so many people have become pet owners and have found their pet to be a real source of comfort during these challenging times, we are concerned that some people may have bought a pet on impulse without considering how their lifestyle might change once the pandemic ends. On top of that, we are facing real economic uncertainties, and, as in previous recessions, people may simply find themselves unable to afford their pet," he warned.

"We would always urge anyone considering getting a pet to thoroughly do their research to make sure they can give them the time, money, and care they need for the rest of their lives. As the impact of the pandemic puts a strain on people’s finances and as many people start to return to work or some kind of normality, the fear is that we will see a surge in abandoned and neglected animals coming into our care," Murphy said.

Meanwhile, across the pond, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) puts the number of cats and dogs entering the country’s shelters each year (pre-Covid) at around 6 to 8 million. While the numbers have gone down dramatically from a whopping 13 million in 1973, they’re still incredibly large and point to how deeply throwaway culture is engrained in society.

According to HSUS, there are around 3.5k brick-and-mortar animal shelters in the US and around 10k animal sanctuaries and rescue groups in the entirety of North America.

So while we can be upset that so many wonderful pets are left without a home, we can also be thankful that volunteers take them in from the cold and help them find a better, more stable home. The 4 million cats and dogs adopted from shelters annually are a testament to that. However, the situation isn’t as great for everyone else.

HSUS also points out that even though lots of pet owners adore their furry and fluffy companions, far from everyone has proper access to vet care, as well as spay/neuter services. The sad reality is that most pets don’t enjoy the quality of life that they could be.

There are approximately 23 million pets living in such underserved communities which translates to a jaw-dropping 77 percent of all US pets who have never ever seen a vet and 87 percent who have not been spayed/neutered. The numbers really are shocking and it suddenly makes sense why so many pets are abandoned.

What’s more, around 80 percent of the 3 million cats and dogs euthanized in shelters each year are healthy, treatable, and could have been adopted by loving families. Furthermore, a quarter of all dogs in shelters are purebred.

Animal shelters and organizations do what they can to help pets get rescued. However, having a big heart and a strong desire to help aren’t always enough. Sadly, housing, feeding, and treating animals is expensive. HSUS states that humane organizations spend around 2.5 billion dollars each (that’s around 8 dollars per capita) while animal control organizations spend 800 million to 1 billion dollars (aka 4 dollars per capita).