Puppy price hikes during lockdown
With millions of people now working from home, demand for puppies has soared. Google searches for ‘buy a puppy’ have increased by 115% since the UK went into lockdown in March.
And sadly, unscrupulous sellers have exploited that demand, with prices for some of the most sought-after dog breeds reaching record levels, with the costs for some dogs increasing month on month since lockdown began.
The asking prices for five breeds most often smuggled into the country - Dachshunds, English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, Pugs and Chow Chows - has shot up.
Our Puppy Pilot scheme rescues smuggled pups at the UK border, we've continued to intercept dogs being illegally imported into the UK, despite travel restrictions. Between the beginning of lockdown and now, we've rescued more than 100 puppies smuggled into the country from Central and Eastern Europe. These dogs were destined to be advertised online for extortionate prices, to line the pockets of cruel puppy smugglers. Among the dogs we’ve rescued recently are four Beagles, illegally imported into the country and found in the back of a van. At eight weeks old, the puppies each weighed just 2kg when they were seized from the vehicle and were all hungry and dehydrated. The average cost for a Beagle puppy online has increased by 151% - from £563 in March to £1,414 in October.
Unsuspecting buyers can be left heartbroken when online adverts turn out to be scams, or their pup becomes unwell or worse. Make sure you know the signs of a dodgy advert to avoid being dogfished.
Average puppy price increases from March to June
