'Death Row dogs': the pandemic pets whose owners don’t want them any more Puppy ownership went through the roof in lockdown, but as reality bites, the future looks bleak for many of our canine chums 15 May 2021 • 5:00pm During lockdown many people bought a dog first, then thought about it later, with the result that they couldn’t cope Britain has long been a nation of dog lovers. But over the past year many have seized the opportunity presented by furlough or working from home to add their first pet to the family. Google searches for ‘buy a puppy’ increased by 166 per cent during lockdown, and a third of those who went on to acquire a dog or cat in this period had not been considering pet ownership before lockdown, according to Battersea Cats & Dogs Home.