Contradicting the maxim that pets are for life and not just for lockdown, animal rescue centres across Scotland are filled to capacity with unwanted animals.

What’s going on?
The Scottish SPCA, an animal welfare charity, has said that over the course of 2020 it received 136,000 calls in relation to unwanted animals, its teams attended an average of over 200 incidents a day, and it helped to rehome 3368 animals. 

Is this all about dogs?
Not entirely. The increase in popularity of pooches has certainly seen dog ownership rise markedly over the las year, so one of the areas in which the Scottish SPCA has become more active is in raiding and shutting down puppy farms. Welfare standards in these places are sometimes so low that dogs bought from dealers can die within days. In October 2020 alone the charity investigated nearly 80 reports of puppy farming. However the Scottish SPCA also admitted 7000 animals to its National Wildlife Rescue Centre near Alloa, among them three Shetland ponies named Mouse, Maisie and Honey. They were handed to the charity in March 2020 when their owners found themselves no longer able to care for them. They have since been rehomed.

What is the charity saying?
Help us, basically. “Our centres have hit capacity and we desperately need the support of the animal loving Scottish public so that they don’t let animals suffer,” says the Scottish SPCA’s Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn. “In many cases, neglect is not deliberate. Even people who love their animals can find themselves in a position where they are unable to continue to provide them with the care they need … This could be a change in personal circumstance or an accident. The decision can be heart-breaking but ultimately it is the right one for the welfare of that animal. It is admirable to put an animal’s needs first.”

Is it all bad news on the animal front?
Not necessarily. Norfolk-based veterinarian company CVS, which owns and runs nearly 500 vets across the UK, Ireland and Holland, saw its profits nearly double over the last six months of 2020, proving that many of those who have bought into the pet craze are taking their ownership role seriously. And with the UK now home to an estimated 21 million cats and dogs it’s easy to see why business is good.

Will vets soon be giving Covid jabs to pets as well?
It’s not a stupid question. The Russians are said to be working on a vaccine for domestic animals and pets, and in January an editorial in medical journal Virulence noted that some form of vaccination may be necessary here too. One of its author was Cock Van Oosterhout, professor of evolutionary genetics at the University of East Anglia. “It makes sense to develop vaccines for pets, for domestic animals, just as a precaution to reduce this risk,” said Mr Van Oosterhout at the time. “We really need to be prepared for any eventuality when it comes to Covid”.