Scots see buying puppies online unsafe but many unable to spot illegal dealers
● Animal charity warns of vet’s bills and heartbreak
A long-running slogan highlighted each year by animal charities warns: “A dog is not just for Christmas.”
Now the Scottish SPCA is highlighting a surge of interest in puppy sales online and urging prospective owners to bear in mind that a dog is not just for lockdown either.
A survey by the animal welfare charity has found that more than 80 per cent of Scots think buying a puppy online is unsafe.
But the Scottish SPCA, which questioned 3,188 people, found 35 per cent of Scots do not feel confident they would be able to tell the difference between a responsible breeder and a puppy dealer.
The charity said the puppy trade in Scotland is reported to be worth around £13 million a year, and irresponsible breeders almost exclusively sell puppies online.
Its chief superintendent, Mike Flynn, said: “There tends to be a spike in interest in buying a pup during the school holidays.
“Combined with lockdown, many people being at home more and a lack of supply from responsible breeders, it is a perfect storm for puppy dealers and traders to profit.
“The fact that one in three Scots would struggle to tell whether someone is a responsible breeder is a sign of how hard a dodgy seller will work to create the impression they are genuine.”
The survey showed around 15 per cent of people believe they have bought a puppy from an irresponsible breeder.
Of those, 45 per cent said they were unable to get any paperwork or information about they puppy while 25 per cent said they were told they could not meet the mother of the dog they were buying.
Almost one-quarter (23 per cent) said the puppy they bought became unwell or died shortly after they purchased it.
The survey also found one in five people believe they should be able to take their puppy home shortly after they have purchased it.
But responsible breeders typically have waiting lists and there can be several months between buying a puppy and actually taking it home.
Mr Flynn said the next-day delivery culture people have grown used to works to the advantage of puppy breeders.
He added: “The criminals involved disappear just as quickly as they sell a dog.
“When the problems start, the people who bred and sold the dog are nowhere to be seen and the buyer is left in horrendous emotional distress and with a considerable vet bill.
“I’ve said it so many times – we will continue to take the fight to the puppy trade, but the only way we can stop it once and for all is for the Scottish public, many of whom we know are animal-lovers, to say no to puppy dealers and adopt or buy responsibly.”
Minister for rural affairs and the natural environment Mairi Gougeon said: “The increased demand for puppies that we have seen as a result of the coronavirus crisis shows the scale of the challenge we face tackling irresponsible and illegal breeders who are driven purely by profit.
“We are committed to ensuring the sale of puppies is undertaken responsibly and safely. Our legislation, which has been in place in Scotland since 2009, already requires dealers to be licensed.
“Whilst it’s great to see 84 per cent of those surveyed are aware of the risks of buying puppies online, it’s crucial that we continue to raise awareness of this.”
“The people who bred and sold the dog are nowhere to be seen and the buyer is left in horrendous emotional distress and with a considerable vet bill”
CHIEF SUPT MIKE FLYNN