Social restrictions have affected the mental and physical health of countless people across the UK, and many have turned to pets- especially dogs- as a source of emotional comfort. 

It is not an inconspicuous fact that over the past two years dogs have been adopted from shelters in unprecedented numbers, and pure-breeders have been anticipating new ‘wares’. 

It’s understandable that the level of canine purchases has increased: with the ever-growing amount of time spent at home by isolating or working away from the strict hours of the office, people who perhaps may not have been as providential to dog ownership due to hours devoted to commuting or long working shifts now find themselves able to indulge in their puppy pipe dreams, perhaps taking the chance to raise new younger dogs that require unwavering attention and affection, or adopting from a rescue centre.

In fact, the influx of pooch procures was so discernible from normal sale levels that the new age of dogs raised during lockdown have been hailed as the ‘Pandemic Puppies’, the plosive but catchy name labelling the pups in their own generation.

However, Natasha Clyne, a Hammersmith pet owner, suggested that “perhaps the dogs acquired during that lockdown are actually having unexpected consequences- maybe, for example, novice dog owners being unprepared for the commitment of caring for their tempestuous newly-adolescent dogs, or the work they require when the dogs owners have started returning to work.” 

Numbers at shelters are sadly increasing once again, as many people begin to return their lockdown dogs, many of whom are wholly reliant on the emotional companionship of the human that raised them. This can lead to several cases of severe ‘separation anxiety’, something that a normal dog owner perhaps would have trained their dog to deal with whilst they went to work, instead of being around their pet 24/7. 

“Sometimes these dogs forget how to be alone,” Natasha continued, “in the wild, of course, they would be alone, and know how to be alone. But the constant attention given to them in lockdown has not only impacted the emotional comfort of their owners, but their own mental health.” 

Dogs cost approximately £1,900 on average, and according to Dog’s Trust, a charity (or humane society) which supports, shelters and rehomes dogs, calls inquiring about returning or giving up a dog for adoption have increased by 35% the past few months. 

There has also been considerable discussion on the ethical implications of using dogs as emotional support volunteers: dogs are highly empathetic creatures that respond intimately to others’ emotions.

In truth, the Pandemic Puppies offer a representation of an extensive psychological and social experiment in human-dog relationships, and will surely impact not only dog owners, but shelter runners and charity workers for years to come. The lockdown shines a light upon issues in existence before the pandemic: how we live with dogs, and the pressures we do not realise we put them under. As St. Thomas Aquinas reflected upon in his principle of double effect: although our intentions may be benign, there can often be unanticipated, negative consequences.