Overwhelmed vets are forced to TURN AWAY animals by rush of new owners who have bought pets during lockdown and staff shortages due to Covid
The boom in pet sales during the pandemic has meant vets are having to turn away animals away due to services being overwhelmed, it has been reported.
According to by the Pet Food Manufacturers Association, three million households have acquired a pet since lockdown.
But the British Veterinary Association has now warned that people should consider whether they will have access to veterinary care in their area before they buy a new dog or cat, The Sunday Times reports.
According to by the Pet Food Manufacturers Association, three million households have acquired a pet since lockdown
The boom in demand for pets was started during the pandemic as people had more time to spend at home
The problem has been made worse due to staff shortage due to the Covid pandemic, as staff either fall ill or have to isolate.
The number of veterinary surgeons has also fallen after Brexit as Britain only let in 155 EU vets this year as opposed to 533 in 2019, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons said.
James Russell, president of the BVA said: 'We are seeing increasing numbers of practices saying they're unable to take new patients at the moment, and that's something we don't commonly hear in other times.
'I would encourage anybody thinking of taking on a pet to be really aware of that.
'It's not surprising when you think that we have got 3.2 million more pets than 18 months ago but we haven't got more vets.'
The boom in demand for pets was started during the pandemic as people had more time to spend at home.
A study from Pets4Homes, one of the UK's largest online pet marketplaces, found the cost of popular puppy breeds has trebled.
The number of veterinary surgeons has also fallen after Brexit as Britain only let in 155 EU vets this year as opposed to 533 in 2019, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons said.
A senior veterinary surgeon in Scotland told The Times: 'Vast numbers of practices have closed their books and restricted opening hours due to severe staff shortages. This has led to long waiting times and irate clients.
'As we had to restrict appointments during lockdown we now have a massive backlog of booster vaccinations and routine surgery, which has restricted the number of appointments a day while we play catch-up.'