All images - Dogs Trust and Blue Cross Demand for pets has skyrocketed since the start of the coronavirus pandemic with the Dogs Trust seeing a 66-per-cent call rise in 2020 compared to 2019. With the majority of us locked down inside our homes it’s easy to see how more of us than ever before are turning to local animal shelters looking to find the perfect pet. Chief executive of Dogs Trust, Owen Sharp said: “It's no surprise that during the pandemic there has been a huge demand for dogs, as more people have been at home with time to care for a new family member, of the canine kind.