Be careful if you want a puppy this Christmas
A puppy is for life, not just for Christmas.
Yes, yes, I know, it is only November and I’ve mentioned Christmas already.
But that was a very successful slogan that really drove home the message that bringing a puppy – or any other pet – into your home was a decision not to be taken lightly, based on the discovery that far too many puppies were being abandoned or handed in to rescue centres shortly into the new year, either because they were actually unwanted gifts or people found they didn’t have the time to look after them properly.
People are now being asked to carefully consider not just when they buy a puppy, but where they buy it from.
Like everything else, puppies are increasingly being bought online despite the very real risk that will mean they are purchasing their pets from illegal breeders.
Recent research has shown that almost half – 45 per cent - of people who bought a puppy in 2019, did so online. That is up from only a quarter the previous year.
Why should this be a concern? Well, the same research shows that one in five puppies bought through online advertising websites, which is where most illegal dealers operate, get sick or die within the first year, and one in four are dead before their fifth birthday.
Those are shocking figures and a really stark reminder of why we need to take great care over where we buy pets from.
Puppy farms breed misery and that is why the Scottish Government recently launched the Buy a Puppy Safely Campaign, using the hashtag #LookBeyondTheCute and urging people to look beyond the cute picture in the advert and remember to make important‘pup checks’.
The key things to remember are: firstly, to look for the puppy’s mother – if you can’t see the puppy with its mother then that is a red flag; secondly, look for paperwork such as vaccination and microchipping certficates; finally, to be prepared to walk away from the deal if there is something that doesn’t feel right.
A campaign last year led to a 37 per cent increase in the number of advice call to the Scottish SPCA’s animal helpline about suspected puppy farms so the message is getting through but with online sales soaring, it is more important than ever for people looking for a pet to be aware of how to spot the signs of illegal dealers.
The Buy a Puppy Safely campaign has now started running in cinemas, online and on radio.
You may have come across it already.
If you are thinking of buying a puppy this Christmas or at any other time, please take on board this important message.