My article in the Withernsea &
Poppy’s Pets
District Community News
distributed to 9000 homes in East Yorkshire
The demand for puppies during lockdown has given puppy farming criminals an increase in revenue and left new owners heartbroken when discovering their new pup is severely ill.
The last few days of Nell’s life went like this:
- Nell arrived in her new home on Friday
- She was admitted to a veterinary hospital on Sunday and diagnosed with Canine Parvovirus
- A vet euthanised Nell on Wednesday
UK puppy farms cage parents and pups in squalid, diseased conditions. Dogs give birth to several litters in a short space of time. Puppies are not vaccinated, so this means the puppy you purchased may already be ill with a short-term or long-term illness, maybe with parvovirus.
Parvovirus is a disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract and is often fatal. Unvaccinated puppies under six months can suffer more severely from this highly contagious virus. An infected puppy or dog can transmit the disease to an unvaccinated canine by direct contact, their stools, an object or a place. In addition, human transfer can occur after touching an infected dog.
If you have suspicions about your new puppy’s health, visit a vet immediately. Unfortunately, there is no medication to treat Parvovirus, so it is essential to allow your veterinary surgeon to treat your sick puppy or dog accordingly.
Many of you have your dog’s vaccinated. Vaccinations help protect your dog from fatal diseases, including parvovirus, and spreading any illness to other canines.
So when buying online, it is recommended to research the breeder:
- Google the ad phone number – does it appear in multiple adverts?
- Does the seller have an assortment of breeds for sale online or at home?
- Is the Dog Breeding Licence displayed on the advert?
- Are Mum and pups interacting, or is Mum unavailable to meet?
- Are you being pushed to buy the puppy?
- Were further visits to meet the puppy declined?
- Are they insisting on cash payment?
- Can they supply a vaccination record book and from a reputable veterinary practice?
- Did they show their Dog Breeding Licence (England)?
There are other forms of puppy scams. Experienced criminals selling puppies face to face is not the only method of exploitation. One is an online advertisement requesting payment prior to collection – the ‘puppy’ will not exist. Another is a breeder selling the same puppy several times. They will allow you to visit their home to choose your puppy. But when the time to collect, there are excuses why the puppy is not ready to leave home. This incident is currently a police investigation. Be vigilant.
We all want to save helpless animals, so if you suspect an advert to be bogus, report it to the website’s administrators. If alarm bells ring after visiting a breeder’s premises, contact the police or RSPCA about your concerns.
Read more about Nell – A True Story of Puppy Farming
In memory of Nell.
Article published in the Withernsea & District Community News – 2021