More and more people are getting pets during the pandemic. Berlin is experiencing a real dog boom. The demand is so great that it can no longer be served from reputable sources. In addition, many owners only get along with the puppies and no longer with the adult dogs.
More and more dogs are out and about in the capital. Around 126,300 four-legged friends and around 118,000 owners are currently recorded in Berlin, which is again more than in previous years, the Berlin tax authorities said. Before the pandemic - at the end of 2019 - the number of dogs was around 111,000 and the number of owners was around 105,000. The number of dogs recorded in Berlin grew by 13.8 and the number of owners by 12.4 percent.
But the dog boom also has its downsides: "In the Berlin animal shelter, more than twice as many puppies were given up during the corona pandemic as usual," said spokeswoman Annette Rost from the Berlin Animal Welfare Association. Often the animals came from illegal puppy trade and are sick. "The demand for dogs increased so much during the pandemic that it could no longer be served from reputable sources," says Rost.
A few dogs were also handed over where the owners had misjudged the development of the animals. "Many don't imagine small, cute puppies becoming stately dogs that want to be mentally and physically busy," said the spokeswoman.
A boom in pets has been common throughout the pandemic. According to the industry association for pet supplies, the number of pets - dogs, cats, small mammals and ornamental birds - increased by almost a million to a total of 34.9 million in the first Corona year of 2020 alone. Companies active in pet supplies have also excelled with growth rates during the pandemic.
