A DOG is for life, not just for lockdown.

Unfortunately, in many cases, this is not proving to be so.

More people are considering giving up their dogs for adoption since Covid restrictions were lifted, according to a dog welfare charity.

The Dogs Trust said it had seen a 35% increase in calls related to giving up dogs in the past few weeks.

It said that people were reconsidering owning a pet as their circumstances changed post-lockdown.

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The sales of pets in the UK has soared since the start of the pandemic, when more people spent time at home.

I write this with Grandpuppy for company lying below my desk. Well, she should be. Alas, being the spoiled lockdown dog she is, she’s curled on the sofa on her special blanket with several soft toys surrounding her.

Skye is the archetypal lockdown dog, purchased by a 24-year-old on furlough desperate for a four-legged companion. The difference, thankfully, is that we’re more than happy to have her for a companion now that long shifts have resumed for our son.

In our book, the wee doggie was a godsend, providing not just company but a focus, with walks required, and training and feeding and caring.

When we heard of the new arrival, of course we expressed our parental disapproval and vowed to take nothing to do with “your responsibility, son”. And of course that never came to pass.

There will always be room for Skye here when doggysitting is required.

But there’s a crisis looming for less fortunate pets.

The Dogs Trust said it had witnessed a significant spike in pet owners considering adoption following the announcement that most Covid measures were being lifted this summer. It said traffic to the “giving up your dog” pages of their website had increased more than 180% in July compared to pre-pandemic visits. There was also an 100% increase in traffic in July compared to what it had seen six months earlier in February.

Owen Sharp, the charity’s chief executive, said: “Following the boom in pet ownership during the pandemic which saw millions of us delighting in the companionship of a dog, today’s figures have sadly come as no surprise to us.

“As owners’ circumstances change, puppies grow into boisterous ‘teenagers’ and the country unlocks, many owners are being forced to reconsider the place in their lives for their pet.”

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The charity, which has launched a National Dog Survey – a census of dog owners – said it expected to see an increase in the number of dogs it receives in the months to come.

Earlier this year, the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association said a total of 3.2 million households in the UK had acquired a pet since the start of the pandemic.

Young people were the main drivers of this trend, with more than half of new owners aged 16 to 34.

There are now about 34 million pets in the UK, including 12 million dogs, the association said.

Sadly, we only have room for one.