Tag: Royal Veterinary College

Pandemic Puppies – The Next Generation

National survey to determine whether Covid-19 continues to impact puppy buying

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is once again calling on puppy owners to take part in a national online survey to understand the pre-purchase motivations and behaviours of owners of puppies purchased during 2021.

Data from the survey, known as “Pandemic Puppies – The Next Generation”, will be used as a comparison to previous years (2019 and 2020), to determine whether the changes in puppy buying in the UK seen during the COVID-19 pandemic have returned to their pre-pandemic baseline or persisted into 2021.

Following the major success of the RVC’s first study in 2020, this follow-up study will investigate the legacy of this period and the future of UK puppy buying culture, particularly given pandemic restrictions continue to lift within the UK.

While many owners were likely making well-intentioned purchases, the demand has inevitably increased the risk to puppy health and welfare. Vets are concerned that the pandemic puppy boom is persisting, consequently adding pressure to veterinary services in the UK.

Therefore, the findings of this study will be used to help support owners regarding their dogs’ future welfare as well as informing the approach that key players within the veterinary and animal welfare sectors should take when sharing educational messaging with prospective owners to better promote canine welfare.

Dr Rowena Packer, Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science at the RVC said: “The COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in the way many of us bought our household goods, with online ordering and delivery a common feature of lockdown life.

“The pandemic also led to changes in the way the UK bought puppies during 2020, due to the many restrictions to travel and social contact during this period.

“Many of these so-called ‘Pandemic Puppies’ became much-cherished companions, helping households cope with lockdown life; however, there are concerns that some owners were duped into buying from unscrupulous breeders. We are interested in whether pandemic-related changes in puppy buying persisted into 2021, so we can best support owners of puppies bought during this period going forward.

“We would love to hear from anyone who purchased a puppy during 2021 to share their experiences.”

Results from the Winter 2020 survey – which involved more than 7,500 respondents – uncovered several changes in buying habits. Owners were more likely to buy a younger puppy, pay a deposit without seeing their puppy, be first-time dog owners with children in their household, and pay more than £2,000.

Other factors included owners being more likely to see their puppy without their littermates and collecting their puppy from outside their breeders’ property or having it delivered.

These pandemic-related changes, such as viewing and purchasing puppies online, and having them delivered directly to owners may be perceived as ‘convenient’ by some but in fact, threaten canine welfare.

Posing harms to both puppies and breeding dogs, understanding whether this online culture is preferred by consumers, and if so, how to change it to protect canine welfare will be key.

“Pandemic Puppies – The Next Generation” is now open for responses, with findings expected by the summer.

Respondents to the online survey must be over 18 years of age, residents in the UK, have brought home a puppy (any breed or cross breed) aged under 16 weeks during 2021, and to have purchased their puppy from a private seller rather than rehomed or bred the puppy themselves.

If you would like more information, please visit: www.rvc.uk.com/Pandemic-Puppies-of-2021-research or, to take part in the survey, visit: 

www.rvc.uk.com/Puppy2021-survey

Applications for the Royal Veterinary College Summer Schools are now open

The RVC is calling for students from Years 10, 11 and 12 to apply for its 2021 Summer Schools

Applications for the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) 2021 Summer Schools, including the RVC Sutton Trust Summer School, are now open for students in Year 10, Year 11 and Year 12.

The outreach team is calling for those who meet the Widening Participation eligibility criteria to apply for the opportunity of gaining experience of what it is like to study animal science careers including Veterinary Medicine, Biosciences and Veterinary Nursing.

Taking place between July and August 2021, the three RVC Summer Schools offer students first-hand insight into what it is like to study at the internationally renowned RVC. As part of this, participants will get involved with online lectures, virtual practical demonstrations, and question and answer sessions with world-leading researchers.

This year, the RVC also hopes to be able to welcome each of the participants to campus for at least one day to gain hands-on experiences across its animal hospitals, Clinical Skills Centre, laboratories, and farm.

Following the success of last year’s Summer School, which was the first to be hosted online due to the pandemic, 91 per cent of participants surveyed either agreed or strongly agreed that the Summer School made them feel more confident about applying to university. Additionally, 91 per cent of respondents felt like they would fit in at the RVC after taking part.

Varying from two to five days experience, students were able to meet current RVC students and professionals, take part in online lectures, virtual dissection demonstrations, team projects and social activities led by RVC Student Ambassadors including a pet show and tell, an escape room and lockdown Zoom quizzes.

Reflecting on the 2020 Summer School, one student, Kaya, said: “I found the lectures and videos fascinating and enjoyed learning about new topics such as animal handling.

“I also feel much more confident in my career goals, as before the summer school started, I was unsure if I wanted to be a vet or vet nurse, but now I have decided on veterinary nursing.”

Reflecting on their child’s experience of the 2020 Summer School, one parent said: “My daughter has really enjoyed attending. This is the start of her childhood dream to be a vet and I can see her enthusiasm has grown this week thanks to you. Even before she started you sent her some items to help her in the sessions, she was over the moon.

“I’d like to extend my utter gratitude to you and take this opportunity just to say thank you all so very much.”

Both the RVC Summer Schools (for Years 10 and 11) and RVC 2021 Sutton Trust Summer School (Year 12) are part of the RVC’s Widening Participation Scheme which was established to support young people who are under-represented at the RVC on their journey to studying animal science.

The RVC runs a range of programmes for young people from low-income backgrounds, areas with low participation in Higher Education, and targeted groups such as care experienced young people, asylum seekers, or young people from ethnic minority backgrounds. 

Nina Davies, Director of RVC Access and International Engagement, said: “We are so proud of the success our Summer Schools have had in engaging students from the widest possible range of backgrounds and providing them with an experience that may encourage them to study with us.

“We work hard to ensure students from underrepresented backgrounds have equal access to the RVC, feel welcome here and able to achieve their goals.

“I would like to encourage any young budding animal enthusiasts and prospective vets out there, to take part in one of our Summer Schools this year; it is a wonderful experience for young people seriously considering a future in animal sciences.”

The RVC has a long history of running Summer Schools and has hosted the RVC Sutton Trust Summer School since 2013. This year it will offer 60 young people from underrepresented backgrounds the chance to take part.

Applications close on 2 March 2021.

To apply or to find out more information, visit: rvc.uk.com/SummerSchools or contact the Outreach Team on outreach@rvc.ac.uk

Royal Veterinary College invites dog owners to take part in huge national study

The ‘Pandemic Puppies’ study will explore how the Covid-19 lockdown has affected puppy buying in the UK

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is calling for respondents for its survey on puppy buying experiences both before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. The survey is applicable to UK-based dog owners who have acquired a puppy since January 2019.

This ‘Pandemic Puppies’ study will compare how and why puppies were bought before and during the Covid-19 pandemic, to help build an understanding of the changes in buying behaviours and intentions over this period.

This study will then be used to help provide advice and guidance to owners who may have experienced problems purchasing their puppy, as well as supporting prospective puppy buyers in the future in avoiding the potential pitfalls.

Many people are likely to recognise the benefits of owning a dog during the pandemic, which has inevitably led to more households deciding to add a puppy to their lives.

While puppy buying is an exciting and emotional time for households, buying and owning them also brings many challenges.

Finding a healthy puppy bred by a responsible breeder is not always a simple process, and lockdown may have posed additional difficulties to potential ‘pandemic puppy’ purchasers. Consequently, there have been many reports of unscrupulous buyers and puppy dealers cashing in on the increased demand for puppies.

This study will also explore owners’ early interactions and future plans for their dogs.

Lockdown has raised concerns around dog welfare, including limited opportunities for new experiences during a critical period of development for young puppies.

This study will explore if and how the early lives of ‘pandemic puppies’ differed from those purchased the year before the pandemic. This research will identify any vulnerabilities to the health, behaviour, and welfare of this puppy population, and inform future educational messaging to promote ways to safeguard their futures.

The survey is open to every dog owner in the UK who purchased a puppy of any breed or crossbreed from 1st January 2019 to the present time.

Participation is open to anyone who has acquired a puppy since January 2019. The puppy must have been under 16 weeks old when it was brought home and must also have been purchased from a breeder or private seller, rather than adopted from a formal rescue organisation or bred by themselves.

Dr Rowena Packer, Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science at the RVC and lead of the project said: “Since lockdown, the media has reported huge spikes in UK households buying puppies.

“Although a new puppy may have been a welcome relief from the pandemic for many households, unscrupulous breeders have cashed in on this increased demand, and many well-meaning owners may have inadvertently bought puppies from poor-welfare sources.

“We want to learn more about how and why people bought puppies during lockdown, and your experiences of owning a young puppy during this unprecedented period.

“We want to know about both good and bad experiences, so even if you feel the puppy buying process didn’t go as well as you had hoped, you have worries, or even if you have rehomed your puppy, we would love to hear from you.

“We equally need vital information from owners of puppies bought before the pandemic in 2019 and early 2020, to learn what ‘normal’ puppy buying looked like in the UK. Please help our study to improve the lives of puppies both now and in the future.”

The ‘Pandemic Puppies’ research project was awarded a grant from the Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF) and will be conducted over a period of six months, with data collection taking place from November until the end of 2020.

To take part in the survey, please visit: https://rvc.uk.com/pandemic-puppy-survey