Shelters fear an influx of no-longer-wanted lockdown pets

ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER owned a succession of pet poodles. Franz Kafka maintained that “all knowledge, the totality of all questions and all answers is contained in the dog.” Frederick the Great exclaimed: “The more I see of men, the better I like my dog.” Pets have been deeply embedded in Germanic culture for centuries, but never more so than now. As people seek a cure for covid-induced solitude and angst, demand has surged for dogs, budgies, snakes and even cats.

The German Kennel Club says dog sales increased by 20% in 2020. Prices for puppies sold on pets4homes, Britain’s largest online ad site for pets, more than doubled. A Yorkshire terrier pup can set you back £1,500 ($2,050), and some breeds cost twice that. Some dogs are no doubt enjoying the pandemic, since their owners are always home. Many are being pampered. The share price of Chewy, an online pet-supplies store, rose by more than 260% in 2020 as owners splurged on posh toys and organic food. Zoo Zajac, a huge pet shop based in Duisburg, says January was probably the best month in its 45-year existence.