ADCH COVID-IMPACT SURVEY No.3 (January 2021)

Whilst Coronavirus has impacted on rescues’ ability to fundraise, the threat to the sustainability of the UK’s and Ireland’s dog and cat rescue sector has slightly improved in the past nine months. the ADCH Covid-Impact No.3 Survey reveals.

The Association of Dogs and Cat Homes (ADCH) conducted its third Covid-Impact Survey in January 2021, the aim it being to help build a clearer picture on the long-term impact of Covid-19 and how the animal welfare sector and members are coping now and specifically during this last lockdown period, and also to better understand what has been happening particularly regarding animal abandonments etc.  (The previous ADCH Covid-Impact Survey was carried out in May 2020.)

Introduction
The Association of Dogs and Cat Homes (ADCH) represent 153 member organisations in eight jurisdictions in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.  These results of a Survey of 107 rescues conducted in January 2021 six months after the previous one, assess the long-term impact of Covid-19 on the rescue sector.  Of the 107 responses 42% only deal with dogs, 31% with dogs, cats and other animals, 16% with dogs and cats and 11% only with cats. All rescues reported an impact from Coronavirus on their work or ability to operate.  This impact can be divided into impact on rehoming and intake, impact on fundraising, impact on staff and volunteers, and impact on veterinary work.

Key findings
Whilst Coronavirus has impacted on rescue’s ability to fundraise, the threat to the sustainability of the UK’s and Ireland’s dog and cat rescue sector has slightly improved in the past nine months.  Whilst lockdown restrictions have impacted on all of rescues, the ability to access furlough and ADCH grants has improved financial sustainability.  In addition, a number of rescues have already made staff redundant.  Trends noticed in April and May on dog and cat ownership have been reinforced – dog abandonment is still down and both cat and dog intake into rescues has declined year on year due to an increase in ownership, in particular of dogs.

You can read the full report here.

The full report of the Covid-Impact Survey No.2 is available here
The full report of the first Covid-Impact Survey is available here

To support the ADCH please go to the ADCH donate page  http://adch.org.uk/donate/

 Other information

ADCH represents 153 cat and dog rescues across the UK and Ireland including large rescues such as Battersea, Blue Cross, Cats Protection, Dogs Trust, RSPCA but over a fifth of ADCH members are run by volunteers-only

Ends