Over the last year, with more of us working from home and with little to do, many people have been able to spend more time with their beloved pets. It also allowed prospective owners to take the plunge. According to the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association, the UK bought 3.2 million new pets over Lockdown, bringing Britain’s pet population to 12 million.
We have also moved to the countryside in record numbers, with data from Cornerstone Tax showing that in the past year, over 3.3 million Brits have moved away from a city or urban area, and 44% of us now feel that the impact of Coronavirus has made living in a city less appealing.
The countryside and its green, open spaces and larger properties, often with a bigger garden, is, in many ways, much more suited to looking after pets than living in a big city. In light of this, property specialists Cornerstone Tax look at the reasons pets could be a key factor in driving us away from the Big Smoke and towards greener pastures:
Space to play
Now there is less of a need to pay for commuting convenience, getting more living space in the countryside for the cost of your city flat. According to Yes Hombuyers, if you bought a London property for the same cost of the average house price in England, you would only get 366 square feet of space, by far the smallest of all regions.
According to the ONS, one in five properties in London had no access to a garden, courtyard, or other private or shared outdoor area, and they are 26% smaller than the national average. This is not conducive to a healthy dog, particularly the nation’s favourite breed according to Lifetime Pet Cover, the Labrador-retriever, which particularly needs space to run and play.
Research by the Kennel Club found that one in five people who bought a puppy during the pandemic had not fully considered the long-term responsibilities, and subsequently, there has been a surge in dogs being given back, sold, or put into shelters. The pressure of city living can only make these long-term challenges in dog ownership more difficult.
David Hannah, principal consultant at Cornerstone Tax, discusses why pet ownership could be a key factor driving people out of the city
“It is now almost common knowledge that many people have left the city looking for more space to live for less money, and our research backs this. We can also see a significant amount of new pet owners.
Lockdown has brought with it a myriad of changes to our lifestyles and also our priorities. Pet ownership may seem like a small reason to move house but the past few months have been somewhat of a perfect storm for new additions, especially to a bigger home.
It is quite possible that a life in the country, and going for a morning walk in the beautiful countryside rather than through a sprawling metropolis, is a key image in peoples head when look to find a quieter life in the country. And it seems Brits see pets as part of this image.”
