Our image of ourselves as a nation of animal lovers is as ingrained in the British psyche as our love of tea or Sunday roasts. "Animals are such pleasant friends," wrote George Elliot in 1857, and millions still clearly agree.
Today, more of us - 53 percent of adults, or 17 million households - own pets than ever before; the pet industry is worth a whopping £10 billion and surveys often show that not only do most of us consider our pets to be members of the family, but a significant number - 12 percent in one survey - love them more than our partner.
Yet something is going wrong in our relationship with the animals that share our homes. According to the RSPCA, there has been a "staggering" increase in the number of abandoned pets across Britain in recent months, with people offloading animals at unmanageable levels and pushing welfare services to the limit.
The turning point was the pandemic, when a flood of people with time on their hands decided to boost their mental health with a new companion animal, increasing the number of dogs from nine to thirteen million between 2019 and 2022. of these animals, dubbed 'pandemic puppies' in new research from the Royal Veterinary College, are showing serious problems.
A fifth of Covid puppy owners reported eight or more persistent problems, with clinginess and aggression high, and a third said they were proving very difficult to train. The number of dog attacks recorded by police in England and Wales increased by more than a third between 2018 and 2022.
And the problems are not limited to man's best friend. The cost of living crisis has left pet owners ranging from the smallest rodent to the most fearsome reptile struggling to meet the needs of their animals. Last month in Plymouth a rabbit was discovered abandoned in its cage in freezing conditions with a note reading: "Daisy, indoor only rabbit, house trained. Nice. Unfortunately my relationship ended. Sorry."
Earlier this month, a grisly discovery of the carcasses of seven giant tortoises was made in Devon's Ashclyst Forest. Andrew Highfield, the founder of the Tortoise Trust, said their poor condition indicated that someone had "been given these animals and found them very difficult", and pointed out the "astronomical" costs required to keep them in the subtropical temperatures that they need.
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The RSPCA has warned that the Covid-19-inspired increase in pet ownership, combined with rising costs, has created a 'perfect storm' of animal welfare emergencies and abandonment. The charity received 20,999 reports of abandoned animals last year, 5,000 more than in 2020.
More than 14,000 dogs were affected, but cats made up half the total - partly, experts say, because many went unneutered during the lockdown, causing the number of kittens to soar. Exotic pets such as snakes, which require heating, are also found every month everywhere from ditches to supermarket car parks.
Many of the abandoned dogs were pandemic puppies exhibiting behavior that their owners simply could not cope with. Used to constant company and little socialization with other dogs during lockdown, they found their owners' return to the office and normal life stressful.
The dogs often exhibit medical and behavioral problems related to their heritage, says David Bowles, head of public affairs for the RSPCA. "Many first-time owners unknowingly bought dogs bred in places like Romania, under conditions that would be illegal here," he says.
"Due to the huge demand during Covid, people with no knowledge of animals felt there was a quick way to make money and started breeding animals. These pets are often traumatized, with problems that become more apparent over time."
Woodgreen Pets Charity, which runs one of Europe's largest rehoming centers in Cambridgeshire, saw a 48 per cent increase in the number of stray dogs last year, and a 25 per cent increase for all the species it works with. "It is an extremely challenging time.
All of our kennels, cat units and small pet accommodations are full and we have long lists of pets waiting to come into our care," said Linda Cantle, the charity's operations director. "And of course we also have fewer and fewer people registering for the new homes they need."
While the majority of the RSPCA's animals are rescued, often in appalling conditions, by inspectors who have investigated complaints of cruelty and neglect, Woodgreen has also received a large number of direct calls from owners who are unable to cope.
"Many are devastated; the last thing they want to do is give up that pet, but they feel like they can't do it right anymore," Cantle says. "Then there are others that are deeply regrettable. During the lockdown they had a lot of time for their pet and it was stimulated and happy, but when life returned to normal, pet ownership became more challenging and competed with social activities. The experience didn't meet their expectations, so they don't want it anymore."
Think of an abandoned pet and you might imagine a status dog, like an XL Bully, that will soon become illegal without an exemption certificate. It is expected that the number of abandoned animals will increase enormously after the ban. But increasing numbers are desirable pedigrees, along with other typical middle-class pets.
"We have a much wider variety of dog breeds than we did five years ago, from French bulldogs to Chihuahuas," says Cantle. "We also have very large numbers of rabbits that are given up; they are quite easy to buy on impulse, without appreciating the amenities they need to keep them warm, fed and happy."
Lisa* recently rehomed her Schnauzer and passed it on to a friend after being called back to the office four days a week.
"I was worried about it, but she became more and more worried when I was at work, even though I spent a fortune on 'dog day care,'" she says. 'I kept coming home to find her weeding and pooping everywhere.
"I feel guilty and foolish for buying her in April 2020 - I realize I'm a cliché, but I honestly thought some of the lifestyle changes Covid brought would be permanent. I was so relieved when a friend wanted her - she works from home so the dog will be happier."
Money is undoubtedly a major factor in the increasing number of abandoned people. According to the Office for National Statistics, the cost of owning a dog is estimated to have risen by 12.8 per cent (around £256) in the past year to a total of around £2,500.
Figures from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home show that a household can spend more than £39,078 over the lifetime of a pet: 11 years for a dog, 12-14 years for a cat. The RSPCA has dealt with cases of people going without meals so they could feed their pets; a situation that has led to the creation of pet food banks.
Veterinarians' bills are also skyrocketing: in 2022, expenditure on vet fees totaled more than £5.3 billion. Dog care bills can easily reach £1,000, with the average vet bill for digestive problems reaching £863, according to Animal Friends pet insurers.
It's perhaps unsurprising that a recent survey by the charity Dogs Trust found that four in five owners were concerned about the cost of caring for their dog - or that some owners simply can't cope.
"Good medical care for pets is expensive, and our industry is very aware that this impacts people's decisions about the care of their animals," says Cat Henstridge, a veterinarian.
"Often vets are put in a mean role, but we are usually very willing to find a way to help when people talk to us. "We had a cat this week that needed dental work and we contacted the Blue Cross who agreed to assist."
All of this begs the question of whether pet ownership has simply become too widespread; or too many of us have bought animals as commodities. It was the Victorians who first made pets, previously the frivolous domain of the aristocracy, an accepted part of domestic life. Dogs in particular were considered to possess virtues that reflected the most prized values of the time: steadfastness, loyalty and courage.
But historically, animals were bred to help humans with tasks such as hunting vermin, pulling plows, and retrieving game, and were quickly killed if they became sick. Only recently have they been treated as members of the family, with one in five owners saying they want their pet to "keep up to date with the latest trends" in grooming and clothing, according to marketing agency Mintel.
With modern life being so hectic, it seems clear that more of us should be asking ourselves whether we really have the time and energy necessary to devote to our pets - especially if they want status in the household.
David Bowles believes that the increase in the number of pets is not necessarily problematic. "Pets bring so many benefits, especially companionship, and the RSPCA supports that," he says. "But we urge people to do their research before purchasing an animal, because the last thing they should do is discover they don't have the resources or knowledge to meet its welfare needs."