It’s a dog’s life, and your responsibility

It’s a phrase that’s been trotted out so often it’s become part of our parlance.

But no matter how many times the message, “a dog is for life, not just Christmas”, appears on car stickers or billboards, there will always be people who jump in and take on a pup without fully grasping their responsibilities.

If they’re lucky, they’ll muddle through with nothing more serious than a few toilet mishaps and chewed shoes. If they’ve bought in haste they could be landing themselves with a whole world of costly and potentially heartbreaking problems.

Vets across Courier Country are bracing themselves for an influx of sick and dying dogs in their surgeries over the next few months as the victims of the cruel trade in puppy farming find their way into family homes.

The growth of online trading sites has made it easier than ever for unscrupulous breeders to ply their trade in animals suffering from all kinds of diseases and ailments, raised in dreadful conditions and wrenched away from their mothers too soon – and it’s happening all year round.

The Kennel Club says buyers who don’t see the mother and her litter in their home environment are “highly likely” to be bankrolling puppy farmers, whatever excuse the seller gives them. The Scottish SPCA and their partners do what they can to prevent vets from having to pick up the pieces but it’s a nasty business which will go on for as long as there are people willing to turn a blind eye and pay up.