Somerset dog rescue sees rise in people giving up pets

Sophia Gibbs said people "don't want to change" their resumed lifestyles after the pandemic

A dog rehoming charity said some owners have threatened to have their pets put down if the centre cannot take them.

Sophia Gibbs, a volunteer with charity Dogs Friends in Somerset, North Somerset and Bristol, said centres are "reaching breaking point".

She said in many cases dogs no longer fit with peoples' lifestyles.

When people are told there is no space, "a lot" of people have threatened to have their dogs put down at the vets, she added.

Ms Gibbs said it is adding strain as rescue centres cannot keep up with the "sheer overwhelming numbers of people that are looking to give up pet dogs".

She said they were not seeing many pets abandoned because of the cost-of-living crisis but had noticed "a real trend" where people have got dogs that are not suitable for certain lifestyles.

Some dogs with "high training and socialisation needs" were being placed in families that are not able to accommodate them, she added.

"Whether people do ultimately [put their dog down], we don't know but that's a threat that's often made".

Greg Elliott-Moustache said his vet practice has been busy with a rise in behavioural issues in dogs

Greg Elliott-Moustache, a vet and Associate Director of Shepton and Wells Vets in Somerset, said it is a "really emotive, upsetting" trend.

"No vet would want to put to sleep a healthy animal. It's not part of our oath, it's no what we signed up for," he said.

He said he does not know anyone doing it and "fortunately" had not been put in the situation where he had been asked to.

However, he said it is a difficult situation with rescue centres being full and animals having nowhere to go so "we do have to be aware of an emerging situation".

Dogs friends volunteer Sofia Gibbs said centres are "reaching breaking point"

Elliott-Moustache said he "absolutely" thinks people do not fully take into account to what it means to own a dog.

"It was always something that was not fully considered, and post-pandemic impulse purchases during the pandemic didn't help.

"People were bored and lonely and now everything is going back to normal and they realised maybe they didn't research it properly.

"It's a big problem and I hope we can avoid this situation in the future by people just really thinking hard about what dog they'd like to get."

Vet Greg Elliott-Moustache said some people don't take into account what it means to own a dog