Scoping Research on the Sourcing of Pet Dogs From Illegal Importation and Puppy Farms 2016-2017

Harmonised welfare legislation is needed...

Author: Dr Jennifer Maher, University of South Wales writes...

"Dogs are the most popular companion animal in the UK; for many they offer companionship and support and a special emotional bond. For others, however, dogs are a lucrative source of income. Evidence from key national and international animal welfare non-government organisations [NGO] (PDSA 2016; Dogs Trust 2014, 2015; Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals [RSPCA] 2016a, b; International Fund for Animal Welfare [IFAW] 2012; Four Paws International 2013) supports stakeholder (such as the British Veterinarians Association [BVA] 2014) concerns that illegal and irresponsible puppy breeding and trade is escalating. Central to these concerns are the large-scale industrial and international commercial breeders now characteristic of the breeding industry: effectively a sea-change in UK puppy trade.

Since the introduction of PETS (2012), which relaxed the requirements for importing companion animals to the UK, the commercial and non-commercial movement and trade of companion animals from Europe has increased significantly (Dogs Trust 2014). Simultaneously, stakeholders have identified UK-bred puppies coming from large-scale legal and illegal breeding establishments."

• http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/11/1736/347312

Consumer Education...

The Kennel Club -- Puppy Awareness Week 1-7 September 2018

Quote

 

Research carried out by the Kennel Club shows that a shocking:

• One in five people admit that they spent no time researching where to buy their puppy at all, compared to less than one in ten (8 percent) who are prepared to spontaneously decide what shoes to buy.
• More than one third people admit they are clueless about how to find a reputable breeder for their puppy and are therefore vulnerable to the scams that should ring alarm bells

 

• People are more likely to fall victim to scams and puppy farmers if they don’t do their research, with almost a quarter (22 percent) saying they think they went to a puppy farm, if they had chosen their pup in 20 minutes or less
• For pups purchased in twenty minutes or less by their owners, almost one in six (15 per cent) experience illness, ongoing veterinary treatment or death in the first six months – three times higher than those chosen in an hour or more
• More than one in five people (21 per cent) suffer financially and the same proportion suffer emotionally if they spent 20 minutes or less researching where to buy a puppy, compared to less than one in ten if they spent longer than an hour.
• More than one in three (34 percent) fail to see the puppy with its mum – a classic sign of a puppy farmer. More than 2 in 5 (41 per cent) of those who suspect that they did not see the puppy with its real mum say that their pup suffered from serious health problems in the first six months, including problems that resulted in ongoing veterinary treatment or death. And 43 per cent experience financial or emotional hardship if they don’t see the mum.