The events since January 2020 have led to a crisis in dog rescue organisations. The Covid-19 pandemic has challenged animal welfare and rescue charities more than ever before—and that’s why we want to help support them.
Introducing our Giving Back To Rescue offer:
Buy one of our crash test dog crates for your rescue dog, and we will donate 15% of the purchase price to your dog’s rescue charity.
This means that for every crate bought for a rescue dog, we will be donating a minimum of £50 to each rescue charity.
The Problem: Pets and the Pandemic
Lockdown in the UK meant an overnight lifestyle change for many people. They were working from home and were only allowed to go out to purchase necessities or exercise. The nation’s footpaths soon became busy with people, including those who had barely ventured beyond their street on foot before, and many people found themselves alone in their home for months. Other people realised that it would be the ideal time to introduce a puppy to the family, while they were at home to train and look after it. This provoked another pandemic: the pet pandemic!
According to Pets4Homes, by May 2020 there were over 400 buyers for every pet advertised in the UK, and by March 2021, the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association reported that 3.2 million households in the UK had acquired a pet since the start of the pandemic.
While some people turned to rescue centres and charities to provide a pet, with both the RSPCA and Battersea Dogs and Cats Home reporting a big surge in interest, many wanted a new puppy. The Kennel Club saw a 180% increase in enquiries from potential dog owners, and puppy prices soared to between two and four times their pre-pandemic levels, depending on breed.
However, many of these new owners have found themselves with a dog they were ill-prepared to care for and costs they hadn’t fully considered. They may not have researched the breed, been aware of potential health issues, or realised the commitment needed to raise a puppy. Puppies need vaccinations, training and lots of attention, patience and time. While they’re adorable, they can also be destructive and disruptive, and lack of training means that this behaviour may continue after the puppy stage.
Now, in 2022, these puppies bought in the early days of the pandemic are adult dogs that have grown used to constant companionship. But their owners may be returning to on-site working. Who will exercise these dogs, refresh their water bowl, and ensure they’re let out to go to toilet?
A Tough Time for Animal Shelters
The pandemic brought furlough payments, reduced work opportunities and redundancies, causing more people below the poverty line. This meant the services of animal charities were more in demand than ever, and some pet owners were forced to give up beloved pets they could no longer afford to keep.
As for the pandemic pet boom, sadly, many dogs who were welcomed so warmly into homes in spring 2020 have now been given to animal shelters for rehoming. Between August 2020 and January 2021, only months after many of these ‘pandemic puppies’ were purchased, the Dogs Trust saw a 41% increase in visitors to its Giving Up Your Dog page.
Other dogs bought during lockdown have been put up for resale. Owners who have spent thousands of pounds on pedigree puppies or ‘designer crosses’ like Cavapoos (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Poodle cross-breeds) are keen to recoup their costs. But will these dogs find their forever home after resale? Or find themselves moved on again if they’re sold to new, unvetted owners, ill-equipped to look after them for life?
The influx of dogs needing a new home hasn’t been the only challenge for animal shelters. They’ve also had to contend with the pandemic problems common to other employers and charities. They’ve strived to maintain their services around work-from-home rules, social distancing, and staff absence due to Covid-19 and isolation periods—all at a time when their fundraising has been severely hampered.
That’s why our new campaign is designed to give them a helping hand.
How MIMsafe is Helping Animal Rescue Charities
At MIMsafe, we’re all about the wellbeing of animals; animal safety and welfare are our top priorities when we design and manufacture our products. We also recognise what a fantastic job rescue and rehoming centres do, keeping dogs safe until they find them the perfect new owner.
Did your pampered pooch or magnificent mongrel come to you from a rehoming shelter? If so, then when you buy any MIMsafe crate, we will donate 15% of the price to the rescue centre or charity they came from. It’s our way of helping you say thank you—and helping charities that are desperately in need of funds.
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How You Can Request Our 15% Donation to Your Dog Shelter
Requesting the 15% donation to your dog shelter is easy. Once you’re purchased your MIMsafe crate, simply send us a copy of the contract you signed with the shelter, and we will make sure they receive our donation of 15% of the crate price.
You can send us the contract by email or post.
Email:
• Scan the contract and send it by email to:
[email protected]
Post:
• Photocopy the contract and post it to:
MIMsafe,
Unit 29 Stanley Court,
Richard Jones Road,
Witney,
OX29 0TB
When you buy a MIMsafe crate for your rescue dog, you’ll know you’re keeping them safe with a top-class, crash-tested dog crate, and helped us support an animal shelter too, ensuring many other dogs can be kept safe and found new, caring homes.
