The past few years have brought unprecedented challenges, reshaping our lives in ways we never imagined. Amidst the turmoil, one trend that has emerged, at animal sanctuaries like ours, is the increase in dogs with behavioral issues being surrendered. The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly played a significant role in exacerbating these challenges.
As families faced uncertainties and disruptions, our furry friends often bore the brunt of the stress. Separation anxiety, challenges with socialisation and other behavioral issues became more prevalent among pets. This leads to difficult decisions for their owners. Despite our best efforts to provide support and guidance, the reality remains: more dogs are in need of compassionate care and understanding.
We are also seeing dogs displaying normal behaviour for their breed being labelled as having behavioural problems because they are not in an appropriate environment or having their specific needs met.
We applaud the growing awareness of the importance of adopting from rescues. Especially as some of these animals require ongoing training and socialisation work.
That’s why it’s crucial now more than ever to come together as a community. To support both pets and their potential adopters. Organisations like Dogs Trust and Blue Cross offer invaluable resources and support to tackle behavioral issues effectively. From training tips to behavioral therapy, these free resources empower pet owners to address challenges head-on. Paving the way for successful adoptions and lifelong companionship.
What we do
At Ferne Animal Sanctuary, we’re committed to ensuring every animal in our care receives the love, patience and understanding that they deserve. We work with the animals species specific as well as breed and individuals needs. When looking for homes for these dogs we give potential adopters as full a picture as we can of the dog they are interested in through information we have from original owners, an assessment process while they are here from the team caring for them as well as other professionals such as our vet or a behaviourist. This helps to set that animal and new owner up for a ‘no surprises’ experience and hopefully a successful match. We would of course always recommend doing your breed research before taking on any new dog.