Unprecedented spike in pet ownership under Covid lockdown causes shortages of pet food pouches

Clare Webster from Co Down told the News Letter that Sainsbury’s at Sprucefield hasn’t had their normal cat food for months.

“We usually buy pouches of wet food for our cats,” she said. “We can never get what we need there and there are always lots of empty shelves in the pet section.”

Sainsbury’s has apologised after running out of dog and cat food pouches due to a “national shortage”, although tinned and dry food are unaffected.

Morrisons, Waitrose and Tesco have also commented on the high levels of demand.

Sainsbury’s is trying to resolve the issue but warned it would be “ongoing” in 2021. It hopes to restore supplies “as quickly as possible”.

Aodhán Connolly, director of the NI Retail Consortium, said that retailers across NI have been speaking to him about the problem.

“Exceptionally high demand is putting pressure on supplies of food pouches for pets,” he said. “Retailers are working with suppliers to address and rectify the issue and will do everything they can to minimise the impact on customers.”

Karen Matthews, trustee with the Almost Home rescue centre in Moira, said they have so far escaped any shortages.

“We have pretty much always used local suppliers for everything we use so we haven’t noticed any issues,” she said.

The charity has been on the go since 2013 and takes care of a wide range of animals, including 112 dogs and about 50 cats.

But while lockdown has not caused them any food shortages they too have noticed a massive surge in demand for pets.

“We have noticed that the demand for dogs is 100 times higher than I have ever seen it,” she said.

Market prices for all dogs have shot through the roof.

“Before lockdown you could not give away Jack Russells and now they are selling for £900 each.”

However, all rescue centres are bracing themselves for an influx of dogs when lockdown ends due to separation anxiety. She recommends leaving your dog alone for several hours a day now to prepare them.

She also cautions against getting puppies for young children as they have needle sharp teeth and, while teething, will inevitably inflict painful bites on small children.

However, rescue centres have many older dogs that are perfect to be rehomed with children, she added.

See www.almosthome-ni.org

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Alistair Bushe

Editor