I am a carer, both as a job, but also for mum. During Lockdown this began to include walking my mum’s dogs.
Yuki is an American bulldog/English terrier cross. He is very well trained which makes it easier to walk all three at once, as he can usually be trusted to be off the lead. He joined the family as a puppy in 2009.
The other two are Mr Darcy and Lola-Bella. They are brother and sister and a cross between the following three breeds: Chihuahua, Jack Russell, and Saussage Dog. We got them when our neighbour’s dog gave birth in summer of 2014.
We like to get our pets from a trusted source as there is always a risk that a random seller could be a fake breeder, which can lead to your dog having health issues and a short life. It was important to see all of our dogs interacting well with their birth mother first, as this is a sign the seller cares for their dogs well. But according to The Kennel Club of Great Britain 44% of people who buy dogs fail this part of their homework.
As Mr Darcy and Lola are more likely to run off and get lost, it’s even more important to keep them on the lead, especially with it getting dark earlier, as dognapping is on the rise. Last February it was reported that a fake RSPCA van was going around taking dogs from their owners. The driver pretended to be theft checking dogs, and asked owners to put their pet into the back of the van so he could “validate ownership.”
Back in 2018 I came across a missing dog in some bushes in Orpington. The RSPCA refused to help me, but my mum put a post online that luckily reached the owner. I took the dog to a location she was given, and there was a happy reunion.
I wonder how many dogs aren’t as fortunate, and were lost or abandoned this Christmas, or given to shelters. Contrary to what most people would think, as a rule the RSPCA does not deal with stray dogs, and on their website suggests you contact your local authority as each one must provide a dog warden service.
The Blue Cross dog charity site says that dog wardens will wait seven days for a dog to be claimed. If it is not claimed then they will attempt to rehome it, possibly in a shelter. But as there are more unwanted dogs than places to house them, the dog may end up being put to sleep.
Research by Petkeen.com claims that over 600,000 unwanted dogs end up in shelters each year. Fifty per cent of those dogs have not been spayed or neutered. That statistic accounts for why the site estimates that over two million puppies are born in the UK every year, 600,000 of which will die before their first birthday.
The Statista.com site cites research that says dog are the most popular pet in the UK, with about 34% of households having one or more of them.
According to this BBC article published last year, lockdown led to a pet boom, with 16-34 year olds driving the trend. But “5% of those who had bought a pet during the pandemic” had soon “given it up” according to figures from the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association.
So Covid has led to an increase in abandoned pets, including dogs, and now the cost of living crisis will also drive people to let their dogs go.
Dogs cost money. Microchipping your dog is strongly recommended, to help you find it if it is stolen or happens to go missing. A chip will cost you £15 per dog. There are also loads of things you have to buy your dog.
But then there are the monthly costs. The Battersea Dogs Home site says food alone can cost £10-£50 a month, depending on the size of dog and what you give them. By law you must pick up your dog’s waste with disposable poo bags which will annually cost you around £24. Insurance alone can also cost you anything from £240-£720 a year. According to the site, “It typically costs around £2,000 per year to take care of a dog.”
Most of the time I take my dogs to my local parks in South East London: Maryon Wilson Park or Charlton Park, and occasionally Blackheath Common, which is a lovely open space for them to run about, although sometimes the busy roads close by scare me a little.
There is a man who I constantly bump into who frustrates me a lot as he thinks he has the right to shout at my dogs for coming near his, yet he chooses to walk in my direction. That’s the nature of having dogs though. It’s not just other dogs you have to worry about, but their owners too.
You are responsible for your dog’s behaviour and the You.Gov site makes it clear that you could face an unlimited fine and six months imprisonment, or both, if your dog causes harm to another person. God forbid your dog kills someone, also as in that case the sentence can be increased to 14 years in jail and your dog can be put down.
Dogs have to be walked every day, and for energetic dogs that should be twice, for about 45 minutes each time. I try to walk my three for at least 45 minutes on weekdays and an hour at weekends. But it can be hard to balance priorities when you’ve also got to juggle earning a living and your studies.
That is another reason dogs end up being sent to shelters, as the owners cannot afford dog walkers. And if that dog is unable to be rehomed, it will run the risk of being put down.
Temperatures of 20 degrees or higher are deemed unsafe for dogs, as they can get heat stroke and their organs can fail. Despite this I still see owners taking their fluffy animals out in temperatures as high as 25 degrees, which makes me worry about their health.
It is recommended that you wait until night to walk dogs in the summer, also as there won’t be any hot pavements. Dogs have nothing protecting their feet from heat. The advice is to place your hand on the floor and feel how hot it is. If you couldn’t walk barefoot on the pavement, then neither can your dog. We often have to keep a fan on our dogs indoors in the summer, but again with energy price rises, will people be able to afford to do things like that?
When it comes to cold weather, research on whether it’s safe is split. Sources such as Medivet say, “If it’s too cold for you, chances are it’s too cold for your dogs”. However, The Farmers Dog site claims that dogs can walk in the snow and not experience any discomfort at all because of the way their paws are structured.
You can wrap up your furry friends with doggy coats and shoes to protect them from getting cold, but those don’t come cheap. From personal experience, I’ve seen my dogs happy in the snow but also had times where they refuse to walk once their paws touch the ground.
When we arrive back home after our walk, depending on the time they usually get super excited to see my mum again, then go for their bowl of water and await their dinner. After that they usually crash out on the sofa and fall to sleep.
But some dogs aren’t as lucky especially at Christmas, which is a peak period for dogs being dumped. Figures have not been released yet for the amount of abandoned dogs that might have been roaming around by New Year’s Day. But I am not hopeful.
