Petbond scheme offers safe route to buying a pup
FOR many people buying a puppy, the first port of call is online ads. What they may not know is that almost a third of all pups purchased at the click of a button are ‘puppy farm’ dogs and, sadly, many fall ill or die within the first year.
Puppies purchased online are very often poorly bred, not socialised and with no checks carried out as to suitability for the individual home.
In fact, many ‘designer pups’ that are bought over the internet eventually end up in shelters.
Animal shelters and pounds around the country are full of dogs waiting hopefully for a new home. Contrary to public belief, rehoming a dog is also by far the safest option as every pet is matched to the needs of the individual home, they have also been screened, socialised, and vetted as to temperament.
So concerned was vet Tim Kirby about the numbers of sick and dying puppies bought online from unscrupulous puppy farms and rogue breeders, he set up Petbond, an initiative that helps people find a healthy pup from ethical breeders.
But when the lockdown came in March, rogue breeders seized the opportunity to make a killing on sites like Done Deal. Page after page were filled with cute pictures of ‘pandemic puppies’ costing up to €5,000. The ads hid the appalling misery of Ireland’s puppy trade where pups are bred in appalling conditions, with their mothers treated like virtual breeding machines in cramped outhouses all over the country.
Speaking to the Irish Mail on Sunday, Dr Kirby said he has seen a conveyor belt of ‘misery’ pass through his Skerries surgery in recent months.
‘On average we see three pups per week that have been bought and quickly fall ill, much to the owner’s distress,’ he said.
‘Parvovirus is the most common disease and, sadly, it can all too often prove fatal. These puppies can often need to be hospitalised for up to two weeks at a cost of over €1,500 to the owner. Surgery is often required to resolve secondary complications.
‘We have seen too many families come in to have their new puppy checked and we have to break the news that they are very, very poorly. Children are distraught as the new puppy that they were so excited to get has overnight fallen gravely sick.’
Dr Kirby said that during the lockdown the demand for pups exploded. ‘They were being churned out in breeding establishments around the country to meet the demand,’ he said. ‘There is little if any socialisation. There was a marked increase in pups that were in bad health and I dread to think of the state of the mothers back in these places used for breeding.’
The human cost of the puppy trade cannot be underestimated, Dr Kirby said. ‘Meanwhile, puppy farmers who have sold these pups are back breeding and selling the next batch and are making a not insubstantial sum. Something just has got to be done.’
He adds that the lack of socialisation of dogs is equally devastating as such pets are much more likely to be abandoned. ‘The total emotional and financial losses are enormous,’ Dr Kirby said.
The MoS has highlighted this issue and we recently featured an unfortunate puppy advertised by a dealer as an eight-week-old puppy. Little Rossi was in fact much younger and died an agonising death from sepsis just days after being bought through the Done Deal website.
Or the tiny, three-week-old terrier with two broken legs and a partially docked tail sold for €200 in June to a buyer who bought her online. Buyers whose pups were lucky enough to survive are left facing vet bills running into thousands. The breeder disappears with the cash, moving on to the next litter, the next ad, using a different phone number.
Dr Kirby has created the Petbond.ie platform where those searching for a pet can rest easy knowing their animal comes from a cruelty-free home.
The site offers anyone the option of safely selecting a pet from its approved breeder or registered rescue centres.
All pets must be at least eight weeks old, vaccinated and microchipped before they can be put up on the site.
The Petbond team of vets verify the accuracy of the information, which ensures that only socialised and healthy, vaccinated pets are featured. And if you do want to rescue a dog then you can adopt your pup from the site too.
‘By working with safe, ethical and trusted breeders, we offer a voice to the best in Ireland. Both Kennel Club registered and nonpedigree breeders can become a trusted Petbond approved breeder,’ Tim said.
‘The correct start in life is critical for every pet and this is why engaging with our breeders is so important. We want you and your pet to enjoy the bond for life.’
‘Children are distraught to learn their pup is sick’