PUPPY prices have soared during lockdown according to new research - with an animal refuge in Furness concerned about an increase in people giving up dogs they've bought in lockdown.

Figures from Pets4homes, which acts as a marketplace for the sale of pets, revealed prices had almost doubled in the last few months with dogs costing £1,900 on average.

The collated data was based on 150,000 adverts on the site, which showed the average price being asked from March to September was £1,883.

The average price during the same period last year was £888.

The figures also showed that popular breeds had seen an even bigger price hike, cavapoos proved to be the priciest pooches selling for almost £3,000 in some cases.

Anita Green, from Animal Refuge Furness said she had not seen these prices translate locally in Barrow, but expressed other concerns about more people buying dogs during lockdown.

“I’ve heard that prices have gone up,” she said. “But I haven’t seen any proof of this.”

Ms Green suggested price hikes could be due to more people purchasing a dog during lockdown for company.

“Perhaps because people are desperate to get a dog during lockdown as a companion so people have hiked the prices up,” she said.

Ms Green expressed her concerns about what will happen to dogs once things begin to return to normal after the virus.

She said: "We are worried that dogs will start coming in when their owners have to start going back to work.

“They come home and find the arm of a chair chewed off. I have spoken to lots of other charities and we are of the same opinion that when people start going back kennels will start filling up.”

Ms Green gave some advice for people wishing to purchase a dog. She added: “They need to make sure they see the mother and father. And see the conditions they’re kept in and don’t meet people in a pub car park.