Dog enthusiasts and breeders alike claim that the cost of both purebred and branded dogs has increased dramatically over the past year, due to increased demand and the need to stay at home.

As the housing crisis after the rental moratorium leads to an increase in the number of people abandoning their pets at shelters, the last year has also seen demand for purebred dogs increase, leading to sharp increases in prices. price.

Des Kehoe is the Vice President of Dogs West, the registration body for purebred dogs in Western Australia.

He told Christine Layton of ABC Radio Perth that the onset of the pandemic last year resulted in a spike in investigations. An increase in demand combined with fewer dogs bred last year has resulted in higher prices.

“When COVID started, many breeders put their breeding programs on hold due to the uncertainty of it all.

“Buying a puppy has to be a personal experience – when you have lockdowns and you can’t have personal contact with people, it makes it very difficult.”

More time at home

At the same time, with overseas vacations off the table and many people spending more time at home, interest in a canine companion has increased.

“There is always a high demand for purebred dogs, for a number of reasons. At the moment we are certainly getting a lot more requests than we can supply,” said Mr. Kehoe.

“People think now is the time, I’m not going to travel, I’m going to be home, I have the opportunity to hang out with the dog.”

Popular breeds, such as Bostons and French Bulldogs, are the most likely to have increased their prices.

Buyers have reported that dogs that once cost around $ 2,000 before the pandemic have doubled or tripled in price.

Distrust of ‘cheap’ dogs

Pet stores have also increased their prices, and although breeders registered with Dogs West are not allowed under the organization’s code of ethics to supply puppies to stores, this has had an indirect impact on price they charge.

“Breeders have often had to raise prices to match pet stores and breeders on the internet because otherwise people think you don’t charge enough money, it can’t be a good product because it’s too cheap. “said Mr. Kehoe.

He said people looking to buy a dog should take the time to do their research and find out who they are buying a dog from.

“The price of puppies has gone up and with the internet there are a lot of crooks out there.

ABC Radio Perth listeners also suggested that prospective dog owners welcome or rescue a dog from a shelter, before spending thousands on a purebred puppy.

Lynda: “You can also pick up a few dogs first to see if having a dog works for you. Canine rescuers are in desperate need of foster sitters.”

Clare: “Get a rescue greyhound. Give a dog a better life and melt your heart at the same time.”

Glen: “I got our dog for free on the street. Another costly effort.”