Over lockdown, around 3.2 million animals, most notably dogs, were brought into new, hopefully loving, homes. During the summer last year, the lockdown puppy craze was in full swing; however it is important to consider whether the lives of these animals should be treated as a trend.
Of course, it goes without saying that, pets can be extremely beneficial when it comes to both mental and physical health, encouraging you to play like a child, but 2 walks a day and love at all times is often not the case for these new familial additions. For, once a dog grows out of its heart meltingly sweet puppy phase, often, the owner can lose interest, leaving the poor dog bereft of the love and attention that it requires. Sadly, with the amount of dogs ending up on dog adoption sites, it is clear that, during lockdown, people took spontaneous and colossal leaps into the unknown and bought a dog. These new and neglectful dog owners clearly did not come to terms with or at least research the difficulties that come alongside having a pet as well as their cuteness and the joy that they can bring.
However, for some a pet in lockdown has been an absolute saving grace: they have provided an escape from loneliness that no one else can. They encouraged puerile and carefree playtimes during a period when we all needed to forget our worries like children.
Yet, still, we must always remember the notorious phrase ‘a dog is for life not just for Christmas’, or perhaps ‘lockdown’.
