With day to day life still dominated by the coronavirus pandemic, it’s sad but unsurprising that its effects and consequences are being felt by animals as well as humans.

Three year-old Siberian Husky Ghost was signed over to us last month after his owner lost their job as a result of lockdown, and was therefore no longer able to provide a home for their beloved pet.

With Ghost’s owner no longer working, they were unable to cover their rent – leading to a domino effect on their personal finances. Without an income and with no prospect of finding a new job anytime soon, Ghost’s owner was forced to move back in with their mum, who had a severe allergy to dogs. Although Ghost’s owner did not want to be parted from their best friend, they had no choice if they wanted a roof over their head – it would be impossible for Ghost to live with their mum, and they had nowhere else to go and no one else to turn to.

Thankfully, we were able to step in to work with Ghost’s owner and help make this heartbreaking situation as smooth and painless as possible.

Our Dog Adoption Officer, Lisa Guiney, spoke extensively to Ghost’s owner, and carefully explained what support we could provide. They decided together that Ghost would be signed over to us and placed up for adoption, in order to secure him a happy and stable life where all of his specialist needs would be met.

Whilst it was undoubtedly stressful and upsetting for Ghost’s owner, their primary concern was for Ghost’s welfare – and with us on side, they were able to receive practical and emotional support at every stage of Ghost’s transition. We spoke to and met up with the owner multiple times prior to admitting Ghost, following social distancing protocol, and explained how our rehoming processes work so that they felt informed and in control.

We also carried out a number of behavioral assessments on Ghost, both with and without his owner present, so we could gain the best idea of his personality and temperament in order to find him the perfect new home.

After we brought Ghost in to Mayhew, we gave him and his owner ample time to say goodbye to each other. Then, we settled Ghost down in a large dog kennel to relax, until we could complete his assessment process and list him for adoption.

Throughout the transition period, Ghost was a friendly and playful sight around Mayhew – he loved to meet and greet anyone that came near his kennel, and especially enjoyed playing in our garden with tennis balls. As soon as he was ready we placed him on our website, and it wasn’t long before he garnered a lot of interest.

A few weeks later, we’d found Ghost a brand new home, and as soon as all of our interviews and checks were complete, he moved out to start his new life with a new family – who we are sure will love and care for Ghost as much as his original owner did.

As the effects of COVID-19 continue to bite into peoples’ health and finances, affecting their jobs and homes and families, more and more pet owners are likely to fall into an ‘at risk’ category.

We are determined to help as many people in our community stay together with their animals for as long as possible, and our support services will also be there to help people who face no other choice but to find a new home for their pet. Our community outreach is more important than ever, and we are proud to offer a number of different services that help people and animals in need, no matter what the situation may be.

We are expecting an influx of unwanted pets

Although Ghost’s story has a happy, if bittersweet, ending, we know that he isn’t the first animal to fall victim to the challenging circumstances of this pandemic – and he certainly won’t be the last.