As a nation of dog lovers and with many of us still working from home, it is no wonder why so many families are looking for a puppy in their lives - but what impact has this had on our four-legged friends?

The demand for puppies this year has brought a shed load of problems – overloaded rescue centres, inflated prices, greedy breeders and in the worst case, pet thieves stealing dogs and selling them on for cash.

According to Dogs Trust, prices for Dachshund puppies during the pandemic soared by 73 per cent from £973 in March to £1,681 in October.

Berkshire has been no stranger to this heartbreaking issue, with dog theft cases being reported by walkers in areas such as Bracknell and Reading this year alone.

Back in late August, a woman was walking her dog in Cabbage Hill when she reportedly spotted dog snatchers next to a suspicious looking van with cages inside it.

The demand for puppies this year has been so rife that unethical breeders have turned to illegally importing dogs from countries in Eastern Europe.

Monika Tarasovicova, 32, of Belmont Crescent, Maidenhead, was running an illegal pet shop from her home and was caught out when a local vet went to the council with concerns about a puppy a client had brought to their surgery.

Reading Chronicle:

The two Shiba Inu puppies imported from Slovakia to be sold in the UK

The court heard the puppies had been advertised for sale by Tarasovicova on well-known pet websites.

Tarasovicova was convicted of bypassing rabies protection laws in court last month.

Sarah Stevens, trading standards officer at the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead, said: “The client had bought the puppy in good faith, but became concerned about its health, and suspicious about the legality of the sale, and so they returned it to Ms Tarasovicova.

“When I visited Ms Tarasovicova’s home I found both the original puppy and another, both Shiba Inus, and I made sure they were safely put into quarantine.

“Two independent vets confirmed that the puppies were much younger than the age suggested on the pet passports, meaning they were too young for their rabies vaccinations and could not therefore have been lawfully and safely brought to the UK.”

It also learned this was not the first time she had brought puppies to the UK from Slovakia and is thought to have imported around 20-25 puppies, but she did not keep records and so was unsure of the exact number she had sold.

And this isn't the only problem of the puppy trade demand.

Lockdown has resulted in a lot of new owners who purchased a puppy being 'ill-prepared' for the task, resulting in puppies being given back to their breeders or getting a rescue centre to rehome them.

One rescue centre which provides shelter for hundreds of dogs across Berkshire is Dog's Trust, Newbury.

Since the beginning of the pandemic in March, the rescue centre has seen a 20 per cent increase in enquiries from people wanting to rehome a dog compared to last year.

This suggests more people are wanting to own a dog because of the pandemic.

Dog Trust Newbury's rehoming manager Antony explained how the centre is expecting a demand in people wanting dogs due to the "fallout of the coronavirus crisis."

He said: “With Christmas just around the corner and many of us still working from home, it may seem like the perfect time to get a dog. For some this will be the case, but we’re asking everyone to consider how their life could shift further down the track when daily routines or personal circumstances change. If you feel sure that now is the right time to add a four-legged member to your family, help us change the tale for rescue dogs and consider adopting a dog like these who all have their paws crossed that 2021 will be the year they find a loving new home.

“We take calls all-year-round from people who, unexpectedly, feel they have no choice but to give up their dog. It can be heart-breaking, even if an owner knows they are doing the right thing. We’re predicting our services will be needed more than ever in the coming months due to the fallout of the coronavirus crisis.”

The demand for a puppy this year has skyrocketed with Google searches for the term 'buy a puppy' increasing by 115 per cent since the lockdown started in March.

What rescue centres like Dogs Trust want people to remember is that a "dog is for life, not just for Christmas, or a coronavirus lockdown."