A PUPPY boom fuelled be increased interest in becoming a dog owner throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns has led to hundreds of young pooches being up for sale in Bradford.

There are currently more than 400 dogs less than three months old for sale in Bradford on the Pets4Homes website.

The most expensive pooches – a pair of Micro Exotic Bulldogs – would set an owner back £6,000, with many more dogs costing thousands of pounds each; there are scores of French, American and English bulldogs currently for sale in the district.

With many people spending a lot more time at home due to the pandemic and lockdowns, with home working becoming the norm for many, a lot more people have become interested in being pet owners, fuelling a breeding frenzy and an increase in the number of pups being put up for sale.

The price for some of the most sought after breeds – cavapoos, bulldogs, mini dachshunds – has also gone up as breeder aim to cash in on the demand for the fashionable furry friends.

There are concerns though, Pets4Homes said, that breeders may not be able to find homes for all their pups as demand subsides as life returns to more normality, with people returning to the office and spending less time at home.

Lee Gibson, Pets4Homes’ UK managing director, said: “We are now seeing previous trends reversed with lower demand for pets while simultaneously the number of pets available for rehoming has risen dramatically.”

He added that the idea people who took on puppies in lockdown are now trying to offload their dogs as we come out of the pandemic was false, with the surge in pups for sale down to new litters, not resales.