New homes found for 258 RSPCA rescue dogs in Derbyshire during Covid lockdown

Demand for four-legged companions soared as families spent more time together at home because of the Covid pandemic.

Figures released by the RSPCA show that a total of 4,877 dogs found new owners around the country in 2020.

RSPCA dog welfare expert Dr Samantha Gaines said: “At the beginning of lockdown we were concerned about how difficult it might be to rehome animals, especially as we had to pause all rehoming for several weeks until we were able to come up with a new rehoming model that adhered to the Government’s guidelines.

“Once we had approval from Defra to re-launch rehoming, we were staggered by the levels of interest we had in our animals; particularly our dogs. We saw an unprecedented level of interest in rehoming dogs from families who were spending more time at home and wanted the company of a furry friend.

“We had 68% more visits to the Find A Pet section of our website between March 23 - the first day of lockdown - and December 31 compared to the previous year; and views of our ‘rehoming a dog’ information spiked by 87%. Many of our centres received hundreds of applications for individual dogs and some canines were being snapped up before they’d even been advertised online.”

Other rescue dogs have been overlooked time and time again by people looking for a pet and the charity’s Adoptober campaign is hoping to address this.

Scooby, a three-year-old greyhound has been with the Chesterfield and North Derbyshire branch for seven months and is struggling to find his perfect home.

When Scooby first arrived in March this year he was petrified, withdrawn and was diagnosed with the dog version of irritable bowel syndrome which was causing him problems. He was given a special diet and medication to control his anxiety which helped him come on leaps and bounds. He will greet everyone with a waggy tail and lean his whole body into you for that extra closeness and affection. The reason he is finding it hard to rehome is he dislikes other animals so his ideal home would be as the only pet, with adults only and a large secure garden for him to burn off steam.

Luna, a one-year-old German Shepherd, was found as a stray four months ago. She has boundless energy and a cheeky personality but does not like other animals and is not shy in letting them know. She is looking for a home as the only pet and with an owner who can devote the time and experience to give her the training she needs.

Dr Gaines added: “Our advice to anyone thinking of getting a dog is to do lots of research first to ensure that you can meet the needs of a dog. They are a huge commitment and responsibility, but they’re also a wonderful addition to the family and are sure to bring you lots of joy and happiness.”

To find out more, go to www.chesterfield-rspca.org.uk/rehoming-a-pet/ or https://rspca-macclesfield.org.uk/.