July 29, 2024, 8:10 am | Read time: 6 minutes

Many people had more time during the lockdowns and got a dog. Puppy prices rose dramatically, and animal rights activists sounded the alarm. What happened to these animals after the dog boom?

One of these dogs was Oskar, a knee-high mixed breed born in Croatia. An animal welfare organization brought him to an animal shelter in Oberursel near Frankfurt am Main at the beginning of 2020, which is where Nadine Lange got him.

The now-41-year-old worked in the hotel industry and had long dreamed of having a dog. Her employer has now allowed her to bring a pet to the office, but initially, she was required to work from home on a short-term basis.

The dog training school was closed after just one session

Lange used the unusual free time to get to grips with her new roommate. “Unfortunately, we only had one appointment at the dog school, and then it had to close,” she says.

She would have liked to have had support, because the first few days were tough. Oskar was hesitant to enter the apartment, fearful of navigating stairs and slippery floors, and he would get carsick.

Today, that is history. Oskar has settled in well into his new life. Like his owner, most of the new dog owners at the time took on their task responsibly, says Lea Schmitz from the German Animal Welfare Association in Bonn. However, for various reasons, many people have given up their dogs.

There are no figures on this. However, the Animal Welfare Association reports that since the summer of 2021, more dogs – especially large ones – have been handed in to animal shelters due to the dog boom.

One in four is facing care challenges following the dog boom

In a representative survey conducted by the market research institute YouGov in spring 2022, i.e., after the lifting of the home office obligation, one in four pet owners surveyed stated that they had problems looking after their pet. One in five regretted buying a pet during the dog boom. More than half wished they had known more about pet ownership beforehand. Eight percent even said they would have to give up their dog.

“Corona acts as a magnifying glass,” says Schmitz. This is because many existing problems in animal welfare have been exacerbated by the pandemic. For example, the number of shelter dogs exhibiting problematic behavior has been increasing for around 15 years. This is also the experience of Sven Fraaß from the Hamburg Animal Welfare Association. “They have had little training or have experienced bad conditioning,” he explains.

The fact that there are even more problematic dogs living in shelters today than before is partly due to the dog boom at the start of the pandemic – meaning there are more dogs in general. On the other hand, dog schools were closed for a long time and were unable to support new dog owners.

Some owners failed due to their lack of knowledge about dogs and their needs. Or they had not given enough thought in advance about whether they could really give an animal a good long-term home.

Animal shelters are becoming increasingly overcrowded following the dog boom

As a result, some spontaneous purchases came to a bitter end, especially for the dog. To prevent this from happening, animal welfare activists have long been calling for a certificate of competence before a dog is purchased.

In addition, the illegal trade of puppies also flourished during the dog boom. These animals often grow up in miserable conditions in Eastern Europe and are separated from their mothers far too early. This doesn’t only make them physically susceptible to disease. “Deficits in the important socialization phase can lead to behavioral problems later on,” explains Lea Schmitz.

In the animal shelters, efforts are made to re-socialize the dogs. This is possible, but it takes time and is very costly. Even afterward, these animals cannot be placed as easily as a dog that is unproblematic from the start. They need owners with experience, the necessary knowledge, and the willingness to get on with them in the long term.

As a result, these animals usually stay at the shelter for quite a long time, where it becomes increasingly crowded. Some animal shelters can no longer take in new residents. Placements are difficult at the moment anyway, and demand has dropped significantly. “Most people who were toying with the idea of getting a dog have already taken one home,” explains Fraaß.

The office dog trend has also seen a significant increase

Oskar’s owner also faced challenges, despite having carefully considered the adoption and discussed it with her employer. However, she lost her job in the crisis-ridden hotel industry during the pandemic.

Although she quickly found a new job, she was not allowed to bring Oskar with her. Giving the dog back was out of the question for her. “I pulled out all the stops to find a dog sitter,” says Nadine Lange.

Even though she was still looking, everything managed to turn out well in the end: Even before starting the new job, she was offered a position by another company where she was allowed to bring Oskar with her. She accepted immediately.

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Happy ending for Oskar

She was aware from the time of Oskar’s adoption that he would eventually accompany her to the office, and she planned his routine with this in mind. This is now paying off, Oskar is also deeply relaxed as an office dog.

Just like when he was working from home, he goes for a walk in the morning, at lunchtime and in the evening. When his owner is working at her desk, he takes a break on his blanket, just like at home. What’s new are the car journeys to work, which no longer make him sick, and the colleagues who come over to pet him now and then.

With material from dpa