Since the first national lockdown in March 2020, Google searches for ‘buying a puppy’ have increased by 166%.
With this increased demand comes an increased price. According to data collected by Dogs Trust, an animal welfare charity focusing on the wellbeing of dogs, prices of five of the UK’s most desirable breeds, including dachshunds, pugs and English bulldogs, have soared by record amounts.
The charity collected data after reviewing advertisements from the last three years on some of the UK’s largest classified advertising websites.
The biggest increase was for dachshunds. Purchasing your own sausage dog back in March 2020 would’ve cost you £973, whereas June 2020 saw the price increase by 89% to £1,838.
“Once you have a Dachshund you will not be able to stop there, they are such a fun breed and so you will want to get a second,” wrote Melissa Kendall-Milnes in a blog post about dachshund popularity.
Dogs Trust also revealed in their report that the most desirable breeds are among those most likely to be illegally imported into the country via puppy smuggling, but positively, the charity has managed to rescue 43 puppies who were almost victims of such cases.
Read their report here:
