Plea to ensure new pups were bred responsibly

ADOG behaviourist from Cornwall has described how she is working with dogs that urinate when they are touched and are scared to go into a house as a result of lockdown puppy farms.

Demand for dogs during lockdown resulted in puppy farms churning out more and more litters to satisfy the number of people wanting pets, all at the expense of the welfare of the dogs that are left damaged beyond all recognition.

Ruth Collett is a dog behaviourist and veterinary nurse who lives in Falmouth and has seen first-hand the devastating effect such irresponsible breeding has had in Cornwall and beyond.

She said: “I’ve been working with a huge amount of dogs from the puppy farm industry, and stats show that one in four puppies bought during the pandemic are from puppy farms and most people don’t even realise.

“I’m seeing lots of really nervous puppies that have not had a good start, and many have gone to new owners and been nervous from the start.

“Dogs used for breeding are kept in squalid, dark conditions and don’t know how to behave. They have a tough time settling in and some cannot even be able to go into a house.”

Ruth, who has been working with rescue dogs since 2000 and is booked up for months in advance, has recently been working with two golden retrievers in nearby Constantine that have come from a puppy farm.

Ruth declared: “These dogs are victims of the pandemic amidst the dog population explosion of lockdown pups. They have spent their whole lives in a dark barn with no handling and were in an appalling state when rescued.

“Rosie and Finn were rescued from an Irish puppy farm through Golden Retriever Rescue. Rosie has had between six and 10 litters of pups, Finn is most likely her son (an unsold pup). They have been in their new wonderful home with Ali and Steve for seven months and I’ve worked with them every week for six months.

“They have transformed from two dogs who couldn’t enter the house and had to sleep outdoors. Finn would urinate in fear if someone tried to touch them and Rosie suffered nightmares and would wake in the night crying. They were afraid of everything and everyone.

“The mums that have had so many litters and aren’t any use to the puppy farmers are being abandoned or put up for rehoming. A lot of the dogs are smuggled over from Ireland on the ferry.”

Ruth explained she has had other instances where dogs have panicked over things as simple as a tea towel being moved and a dog unable to go into a room when a pair of shoes has been moved.

Ruth is urging anyone getting a puppy to make efforts to ensure they are bred responsibly. Viewing a puppy without its mum is a red flag, she explained, as breeders have been known to hire an Airbnb to make it look like it is a home environment where the puppies are being raised and made an excuse as to why the mother is not there.

“People should always view a puppy with its mother, in its home environment,” Ruth added.

“Owners looking to take on a rescue dog should chose a reputable rescue centre that matches dogs with owners according to its needs,” she concluded.

To join the fight against puppy farming, visit www.pupaid.org

‘They have spent their whole lives in a dark barn and were in an appalling state’ RUTH COLLETT