12 Nov 2020
Researchers are seeking pet owner experiences of buying puppies, both before and during COVID-19, to help drive future vet guidance.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Researchers at the RVC are seeking pet owners to take part in a national survey to chart puppy buying behaviours before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The “Pandemic Puppies” study will compare how and why puppies were bought between January 2019 and now, to gain an understanding of buying behaviours and intentions.
It is hoped findings from the survey will feed into guidance, including ways to avoid potential pitfalls, that can be given to prospective future puppy buyers.
More households have added a puppy since the national lockdown was announced in March, but the increase of “pandemic puppy” purchasers likely profited unscrupulous sellers and puppy dealers.
The study will explore owners’ early intention and future plans for their dogs, with lockdown having also raised welfare and behaviour concerns for all pets.
The RVC said the survey was open to every dog owner in the UK who purchased a puppy of any breed or cross-breed between 1 January 2019 and now.
The puppy must have been below 16 weeks old when it was brought home and must have been purchased from a breeder or private seller, rather than adoption from a formal rescue organisation.
Rowena Packer – lecturer in companion animal behaviour and welfare science at the RVC, and project lead – said: “Since lockdown, the media has reported huge spikes in UK households buying puppies.
“Although a new puppy may have been a welcome relief from the pandemic for many households, unscrupulous breeders have cashed in on this increased demand, and many well-meaning owners may have inadvertently bought puppies from poor-welfare sources.
“We want to learn more about how and why people bought puppies during lockdown, and experiences of owning a young puppy during this unprecedented period. We want to know about both good and bad experiences.
“We equally need vital information from owners of puppies bought before the pandemic in 2019 and early 2020, to learn what ‘normal’ puppy buying looked like in the UK.”
The “Pandemic Puppies” research project was awarded a grant from the Animal Welfare Foundation and will be conducted over a period of six months, with data collection taking place from November until the end of 2020.
