Pandemic dogs with medical issues put pressure on charity
The number of dogs with severe health issues that a Birmingham charity has treated surged during the lockdown. But the costs of medical care are putting a strain on the dog charity.
The Head of Fundraising, Fi Harrison, at Birmingham Dogs Home said:
“We don’t want to ever not look after a dog because of their medical care and the costs associated with that, but it adds up, so it can cost thousands and thousands of pounds. “
Poor breeding practices increase medical needs
One of the oldest region’s charities has seen an increase in dogs and puppies that needed critical medical attention, specifically those with “breeding and medical problems’.
Spike’s owners came to the charity with a 12-week old bulldog with a heart condition and restricted airways who needed £6,000 surgery. Due to his poor health, the owners got him for free. Despite the treatment, he did not make it.
Another dog, with “swimmers syndrome” and inability to walk and breathe normally, Teddie, was treated with a £1,000 surgery, now is learning how to walk.
These are only a few cases in which Birmingham Dogs Home has provided “essential” but expensive medical care, which affected them financially.
“One of the big issues for us as a charity is the cost of veterinary care. Last year alone, we spent over £230,000 on veterinary care, so those dogs (with health problems) stayed with us longer, and it cost more.”
Harrison says that dogs’ health problems might have resulted from “breeding practices” during the pandemic.
‘If you’re not an experienced breeder, you might not know about genetic conditions and things to avoid. So we have seen a number of dogs that come to us with serious health problems because of genetic predispositions.”
As medical treatment is too expensive for the owners, many puppies are becoming homeless. So while the charity rescues these dogs, the expenses are getting higher each year, and without “any fundings”, this impacts them.
“The rescue centres have been working in the best way they can to raise what they can, but it was a real problem for us this last year.”
Pandemic puppy demand — nationally
The Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association showed that 3.2m people in total fostered a new pet since the pandemic, with dogs being the most popular. In 2021, the UK had 12.5 million pups (33% of households).
But this high demand for dogs over the past 16 months has raised the risk to puppies’ health and welfare. Moreover, the Royal Veterinary College says this increases the threat to puppies being illegally imported, bred or raised in puppy farms or sourced from poor welfare environments.
The prices of dogs have also gone up, with some costing more than £1,900, due to the lack of puppies, explains the British Society of Animal Science.
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Holyrood has shed light on illegal breeding methods where puppies are kept in confined areas in overfilled “puppy farms”.
“Many have been dying, and many have been put outside and burned [as a way] to dispose of them because they are dying.”
Eve Sandstra-Benett, whose study found that 82% of vets are in favour of mandatory spaying and neutering of dogs and cats if the owner is not a certified breeder, said that:
“With breeds such as Labradoodles, Cockapoos and Pugs selling for thousands of pounds, there’s the temptation for unlicensed breeders to mate animals without checking their lineage.”
So charities urge people to do extra checks on dogs’ health and the environment they have been in before buying a dog to stop poor practices.
The future of local charity
The Birmingham Dogs Home have launched their Healing Hearts Appeal to raise £100,000 for their new veterinary clinic, which they hope will minimise the costs and allow them to respond to medical emergencies quicker.
They are also organising fundraising events to raise money, and so far, they have raised £38,000.
Fi Harrison said:
“We think it’s going to improve the medical care that we’re able to give to all the dogs that need to.”
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