A CAMPAIGN warning of the dangers of buying pets from illegal dog breeders and puppy farms is urging people to “look beyond cute” this Christmas.
Puppy owners gathered in Edinburgh’s Inverleith Park as part of the Scottish Government’s Buy a Puppy Safely campaign.
They were joined by representatives from the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) and Rural Affairs Minister Mairi Gougeon.
Gougeon said one in every five puppies purchased online – where most illegal dealers operate – die within the first year. A quarter are dead before their fifth birthday.
Explaining the message behind the campaign, Gougeon, said: “We see a lot of people looking to buy a puppy at this time of year and we’re trying to highlight the things that people should look out for.
“First of all, use an assured breeder. When you go to collect that puppy, make sure you see it with its mum [and] the rest of the litter around her, and make sure you get the paperwork as well. If something doesn’t seem right, then walk away and call us.”
SSPCA Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn added: “Look beyond cute means don’t be fooled by beautiful pictures or lovely descriptions by people over the phone. Never buy a pup that’s going to be delivered to you, make sure you visit the breeding establishment and see it with its mother. Don’t accept photocopies of paperwork because it’s so easy to forge these kinds of things.”
Owner Paula Webster paid almost £2000 for a puppy she saw advertised on Gumtree. When the dog was collected from the Lake District it quickly became clear the animal had health problems. Webster said: “It got really sick, it had severe anxiety, and because we’d never had a puppy before we didn’t know if that was normal or not. We had to take the dog back to the breeder. The mum had died and there had been issues with some of the other puppies.
“If there’s no paperwork and there’s no mum, these should be warning signs. Also, if the dog is ready instantly, like it was for us, that’s not a good thing.”
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