Huge price hikes for popular breeds during lockdown

Research from Dogs Trust has shown prices for puppies have reached record levels in lockdown – with some breeds reaching as much as £9,000 per pup.

Dogs Trust’s research has revealed the asking price for five of the UK’s most sought-after breeds and the five breeds most often smuggled into the country – dachshunds, bulldogs, French bulldogs, pugs and chow chows – shot up between March, when lockdown was announced, and the end of June this year, when lockdown started easing.

High demand

The charity has reviewed advertisements from the past three years on some of the UK’s largest classified advertising websites, and prices for pugs, dachshunds and chow chows have never been higher, while bulldogs and French bulldogs have also seen significant price hikes.

Most expensive of the breeds, bulldogs were advertised for as much as £2,140 on average in June compared to an average of £1,637 in March – although some listings reached as high as £9,000.

Abandonment

Millions of people have been working from home and demand for puppies has soared during lockdown, with Google searches for “buy a puppy” increasing by 166% since lockdown was announced on 23 March.

Experts from the charity said experience tells them that more dogs than ever will face the risk of relinquishment in the coming months and years. Dogs Trust estimates that up to 40,000 more dogs could be at risk of abandonment.

‘Cruel smugglers’

Paula Boyden – Dogs Trust’s veterinary director, who chairs the Pet Advertising Advisory Group – said: “With puppies in such high demand, and selling for such high prices, it’s creating a lucrative market for cruel puppy smugglers and, sadly, we have rescued many dogs illegally imported into the country, destined to be sold during lockdown.

“It’s also creating a perfect storm for people to be ‘Dogfished’ and scammed out of their hard-earned money.

“That is why it is so important to always see a pup with and interacting with their mum, and to go and see them more than once. Never pay a deposit without seeing the puppy in person first and check all paperwork carefully. If something doesn’t seem right, as hard as it may be, walk away and report the seller.”