You would have to be living under a rock not to be aware of the Game of Thrones craze that has swept television viewers everywhere. But trends like these always come with unexpected side effects. The “direwolves” are a major aspect of the show and most of these animals are played by a breed that is closely related to Siberian huskies. One of them is also played an Arctic wolf.
However, dogs who resemble these animals in real life are experiencing some unwanted consequences as a result of this craze. Shelters and animal rescues in a variety of locations have reported that they are going through a far greater level of husky related abandonment. Fans of the HBO show are acquiring and surrendering the animals at a rate that far outpaces any other breed of dog.
This increase is definitely aligned with the rise of the show and the spike is especially noticeable over the course of the past three years. Over the past two years, shelters and rescues have seen an increase in abandoned huskies that doubles the expected rate. Game of Thrones fans might firing up their defenses as we speak and be ready to fight back against these allegations.
