Mark Dolan: A pet is for life, not just for lockdown

We are supposed to be a nation of animal lovers, but we've got a funny way of showing it. It seems that the victims of lockdown haven't only had two legs.

I completely understand yeah early in lockdown the desire to have a dog, cat or other pet, when faced with weeks or even months of solitude at home.

All of your work meetings via the laptop, it was nice to have the company of a canine and the need to walk a dog two or three times a day was a welcome excuse to get out of the house.

And of course get your exercise without breaking the rules. Life at home, working on your own terms, often in your pyjamas with a lapdog on your lap seemed like the shape of things to come. But that was then and this is now.

By hook or by crook, we are slowly getting back to normal. Meetings are happening face-to-face and the office beckons for millions, at least for a few days of the week.

So what happens to the cat, dog, gerbil, hamster, parrots or tarantula that you bought last year? All too often it's a tale of neglect and rejection.

The Daily Mail have reported movingly on this in their paper today.

The charity Many Tears, based near Llanelli, Carmarthenshire in South Wales for example, recently took in 172 adult dogs and puppies from across Britain, adding to the 3,500 they rescues each year. These figures are expected to spiral in the months to come.

If we love animals so much we must do better. When we acquire a pet, we have to understand that is a 10, 15 or 20 year commitment. Longer than most marriages. My kids will be long out of college and getting on with their lives, when I'm still caring for our family cat Harry.

He’s given us five years of joy already. He may have another 15 in his locker. So we have to think about whether we have the time, or indeed accommodation for such a creature.

What about the budget for all of those vet bills, pet food, medicine and if it comes to it dog walking services. None of us seem to struggle with the initial cost of buying a pet, but it's the ongoing cost, years down the line, which gives us a change of heart.

It wasn't the dog or cat’s idea to be purchased. But it becomes his or her problem – are they still doing genders for animals – when you've decided you want out.

Where does the pet go? He's out on his ear, out on the street, and if the vets deem it necessary, he's out for the count and put to sleep. Thousands of unwanted animals are euthanised every year.

Also our affection for more exotic and luxurious breeds is feeding a criminal market in dogs in particular, which is why so many dogs are stolen every week. That's before you get to the myriad health problems suffered by these little creatures, as a result of inbreeding, so their tail can be the right length, their ears the right shape and their eyes the right colour.

All too often, just a few months or years into the life of these creatures, they've been so genetically modified, some of them can barely walk, breathe or see.

If we love animals so much, we can do better. So think twice before you take the leap. It's easier and less cruel to divorce another human being than one of god’s creatures. At least a human divorce is mutual.

Animals are a blessing, a gift to humanity, and one that will keep on giving. But only if we understand they are a gift that doesn't come with a receipt, to be taken back to the shop when we’ve had second thoughts.

Pets come with a strict no-returns policy. It's incredibly hard to rehouse unwanted and preowned pets, so if you do decide that you're going to acquire a pet, consider rescuing a rescue. They've all got a story to tell. They’re survivors, their hearts are as big as their sad eyes and they've got so much more to give.

Think carefully about where you collect your canine or where you go to get your pussy. See if you can find a catatonic cat, a dodgy Dalmatian, a manky mongrel or a Shih Tzu in a sh*t state. It could be second time lucky for these wonderful creatures. And first time lucky for you. A pet is for life, not just for lockdown.