On 8 March 2021, England began a phased exit from lockdown.

But more than two years on, the effects of the Covid pandemic are still being felt for humans and animals alike.

Lockdown was the perfect time for many people to get a four-legged-friend to keep them company.

But as restrictions eased, some realised their situation no longer suited a dog.

Spaniel Aid UK say they have seen a ‘threefold’ increase in people looking to rehome dogs.

The cost of living crisis also means people are now struggling to afford basic care for their dogs.

Just this week, volunteers were mobilised after 13 stray spaniel puppies were discovered. Luckily, foster families were found for them all.

Nerina Gill, media manager for the charity, knows first hand the impact of giving a dog its forever home.

Her own dog, Max, was adopted from Spaniel Aid.

Due to the scale of requests faced by the charity, Nerina hopes more foster carers can come forward as she did to help make a difference.

She told Metro.co.uk: ‘The situation has been getting progressive worse for the last couple of years and there are no signs of any improvement. If anything, it’s still as bad as it was at the beginning of the year.

‘We faced a problem of people buying lockdown dogs then finding they weren’t suitable.

‘During lockdown everyone was trying to breed puppies as there was a high demand for dogs.

‘We saw lots of indiscriminate breeding as prices went up. That means there are a lot of badly bred puppies out there, which leads to all sorts of physical and metal problems for them.’

Each day, the charity receives 4 or 5 emails.

Spaniel Aid is looking to recruit people with experience of active and intelligent working breeds for when dogs are in need of new homes.

Without foster carers, it would be impossible for the charity to operate.

One of the foster co-ordinators, Chloe Lloyd, said: ‘We don’t have a rescue centre, so our fosterers are vital for us to help dogs looking for new homes, often through no fault of their own.

‘We get several requests a day from people wanting to rehome their dogs, or from dog wardens or vets where stray dogs have been handed in.

‘We couldn’t help any of them without our wonderful fosterers, and we are always grateful for the fantastic work they do.’

‘We took her out for some fresh air and she just looked up at the sky and sniffed the air.

‘It was a new world for her. It’s so incredibly rewarding when you see that sort of transformation and the difference you can make to these dogs.’

Anyone who fosters a dog for Spaniel Aid may choose to have them join their family on a permanent basis, but the urgent need is for altruistic fosterers, whose primary motivation is to help a dog in need.

If you can help support the charity, go to https://spanielaid.co.uk/foster-for-us/

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