Sudbury breeder sees 'boon in busyness' for dog breeders during COVID-19 pandemic

A Sudbury dog breeder says he's seen an uptick in interest for dogs amid COVID-19, and he says other breeders are seeing a similar trend.

Richard Paquette operates Wenrick Kennels, and is also the director for northern Ontario with the Canadian Kennel Club. 

"Dog breeders are actually having a bit of a boon in busyness with respect to the COVID situation," Paquette said.

"Many people are sheltered at home, and for one reason or another have decided to take up having a pet to get rid of the boredom of all this sheltering in place. So there's a high demand for purebred dogs at this time." 

Long wait lists 

At his own business, Paquette says he has about 25 people on a waiting list for a recent litter of puppies. And overall, he estimates there's been "at least a 10 fold increase" in inquiries for purebred dogs.

Paquette says he's glad to see people interested in, and researching, different breeds of dogs — and he hopes that interest will continue.

He says for some people, the pandemic could present a good opportunity to get a pet — but he cautioned against rushing into that decision, noting the responsibilities and time commitments of pet ownership will last well beyond the pandemic. 

"If indeed you have always owned a dog and are just without a dog at this time, go ahead, get a dog," Paquette said. 

"But if you're one that never thought you wanted a dog in the beginning, you may, you might want to give that some more thought. Because just because you have lots of time now, doesn't mean you'll have lots of time two or three months from now."

For those who are looking into dog ownership, Paquette also cautioned people to be aware of online scammers, who could take advantage of increased demand.