Astonishingly, 22% said they leave their dogs for 4 or more hours a day, with more than 1/2 saying they are left shut inside the house. Some confessed the stress shown by their dog did not really bother them or their families.
STUART WINTER: ‘Seven million dogs are struggling to cope with being left home alone, Britain’s largest animal welfare charity RSPCA warns. Although Britain sees itself as a nation of animal lovers, up to 85 percent of our huge dog population feel the anxiety of being separated from their human companions. Many dogs are suffering in silence when their owners go out for hours on end oblivious to the misery faced by their ‘pets’…
New figures released by the animal welfare charity highlight a disregard for the feelings of intelligent and sensitive pets who can become destructive and fretful when they feel abandoned. Chewing furniture, scratching doors, howling and messing on carpets are some of the visible displays of angst shown by dogs left on their own. Increased heart and breathing rates and panting are far less obvious. Astonishingly, 22 percent of ‘owners’ admitted to the RSPCA poll they leave their dogs for four or more hours a day, with more than a half saying their animals are left shut inside the house when they are out… Some even confessed the stress shown by their pets did not really bother them or their families…
Dog Kind campaign manager Daisy Hopson said: “We know that the love between owners and their dogs is unconditional – the centre of each others lives. So, when you leave your dog for any period of time, it can be incredibly difficult for them. “It’s nothing to do with their age, breed or where they have come from, it’s because many dogs don’t know how to cope when their owner isn’t at home and are unhappy when left alone… It’s shocking to think that more than seven million of our four-legged friends could be feeling frightened, lonely or sad when home alone”. SOURCE…
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