National Welly Boot Shortage Causes Chaos for Dog Walkers

You may have noticed that since the start of the year it has been quite a struggle to obtain wellington boots, at a time when we needed them the most.

A national shortage was blamed on Brexit and supply chain issues, however it has emerged recently that a majority of the shortage comes from weather conditions affecting the growth of the raw materials needed to make the rubber boots.

Combine that with a huge increase in dog owners during lockdown along with a rather soggy few months and it’s become quite an issue to those of us who have no choice but to trudge through muddy parks and boggy beaches with our beloved pooches.

70% of our office are dog owners so we know the struggles of trampling through the mud and rain with our dogs, not to mention the staff who horses and are extremely well versed in getting filthy in the winter months.  A good pair of wellies is an essential in every shoe cupboard, especially if you are a regular walker or visitor to the countryside.

Recently on a local radio station several people were interviewed who were struggling with the boot shortage and had improvised accordingly, the most notable one being a dog walker that had to cover her regular boots in 4 plastic carrier bags!

We’re glad that the sunshine is finally here and we can pack our wellies (if we’re lucky enough to have any) firmly away until later this year.  Thank goodness summer is here, now we can swap the search for wellington boots to the usual panic buying of paddling pools instead!