USPCA warns many pets in the lead-up to Christmas are from illegal puppy farms or from unscrupulous breeders
Don’t buy animals at Christmas - USPCA warns many pets advertised online especially pups in the lead-up to Christmas are from illegal puppy farms or from unscrupulous breeders
Animal welfare charity advises public festive joy could soon turn to heartache if new pet comes from rogue breeders who farm pups in appalling conditions without even basic health measures.
The USPCA is urging caution after receiving a 45% increase in the number of calls they are receiving from concerned members of the public on rogue puppy dealers, compared to the same period last year.
With Christmas fast approaching, the charity warns families to beware of making an impulse decision to get a puppy without adequately researching the commitment of caring for a pet and making sure the puppy comes from a licensed breeder.
Illegal and rogue breeders operate under the radar, avoiding regulation and inspection, and causing huge suffering to dogs. Bitches are bred for litter after litter, with pups not receiving even routine health care such as worming and immunisation and taken from their mums far too early.
The charity is appealing to the public not to buy a pet as a present this Christmas.
The charity highlighted that caring for animals is an enormous responsibility, and pets should never be carelessly given as gifts to anyone.
USPCA encourage people to adopt and not to buy, and to wait until after the Christmas holiday to take the time needed to fully understand the commitment that is needed.
If families do opt to buy rather than adopt, the charity’s top tips include:
- Is ‘mum’ really mum? A tactic by illegal breeders is to use a healthy-looking dog in the place of the puppy’s real mum. A dog who has recently had puppies will show clear signs (visible teats) and have bonded with her puppies. If she seems wary of the puppies, she may not be their mum.
- Check all the paperwork. Legitimate breeders will have a licence, always make sure you see the breeder’s licence number.
- Check the puppy’s and parents medical records. A puppy cannot be vaccinated before they're four to six weeks old. If someone's advertising a three-week-old vaccinated puppy, they are lying! Breeders should be able to provide written confirmation from their vets that both the mum, and the puppies have received all of the necessary treatment at the appropriate time.
Nora Smith, Chief Executive of USPCA said:
“It is understandable that many people want to create that magical Christmas experience for their families and puppies are almost irresistible. However, the sad reality is that many of the puppies we will see on social media posts and online have come from illegal puppy farmers and unscrupulous breeders who put profit before welfare.
“Through our work in the USPCA we see horrendous footage, dogs and puppies living in squalor, with faeces on the floor and lack of clean food and water. People who buy these puppies for Christmas or at any time of the year should know that they are contributing to this problem and the treatment of these vulnerable animals.
“Our advice is not to buy a puppy online. This is a decision that people really need to think about and research carefully. It should never ever be an impulse buy and we always urge people not to buy pets for Christmas. If someone is adamant that they want a pet, there are thousands of animals in rescue centres across Northern Ireland who are in need of a loving home. Rescue centres can also give great advice on the breeds that might be more suited to someone’s home, family and lifestyle.”
In 2022, Allister and his family had a terrible experience of buying a puppy online. Allister Lavery said:
“Our family was devastated when we bought our little puppy, Buddy, last year. We bought him from what we believed was a reputable seller, but nothing could have been further from the truth.
“It was obvious once we got him home, that he was very sick but we thought we could get him better and he would thrive. We made multiple trips to the vet before he was sadly put to sleep just a few short weeks later.
“The vet bills for those few short weeks also cost us thousands. The seller would not return our calls or respond to our messages, yet they had taken our money. It was an awful experience. Like many other families, we thought we knew what to look out for but were shocked to discover that such a poorly little animal could be sold. I would urge anyone reading this to forego the online sellers and go to a legitimate animal welfare charity and adopt a dog.”
Photo Caption:
- Buddy was bought online last year and sadly had to be put to sleep within weeks due to ill health.
