In the first lockdown in March, we saw a surge in puppy purchases. With vets up and down the country struggling with staffing issues, and trying desperately to heed RCVS and BVA advice to see emergencies only, new owners requesting puppy vaccines just added to that pressure.
We waited with trepidation, expecting the craze to tail off, and dreading an onslaught of abandoned dogs when people returned to work and realised they didn’t have the time or money to keep their new found furry friend.
Instead, the pandemic raged on, the furlough scheme was extended and many people still continued to work from home. Consequently, the puppy pandemic snowballed. And it got worse…
Taking advantage
I’ve previously written about my concerns with rushing into getting a puppy and the disregard some have for the future consequences, such as severe separation anxiety when the dog inevitably faces a drastic lifestyle change in some cases. Now the same still applies, but additionally with a soar in demand unscrupulous breeders, dealers, importers, and scammers are preying on the unsuspecting and naive.
The BBC recently reported on the huge increase in puppy prices during lockdown, with some breeds selling for an average of three times the price when compared to the previous year.
Even for those breeders who have a good reputation, increasing prices to this extent is immoral. It out-prices many experienced potential owners and will just encourage bidding wars, with pups being sold to whoever can pay the most, not the person who will offer the most suitable home long term.
Rule breakers and con artists
With the increasing value of pups, thefts of bitches and litters are on the rise, as well as selling scams. My colleagues have experienced breeders pressuring buyers to make a decision quickly and demanding deposits without even seeing the puppy.
Some of these could be selling stolen pups, so the seller has no actual breeding facilities to show and some are simply trying to scam money, with the same sob story advert appearing on multiple websites using exactly the same picture for supposedly different puppies – none of which will never actually materialise.
Many unscrupulous breeders are using lockdown or the local restrictions as an excuse to refuse buyers access to see the puppy in its home environment, yet are more than happy to breach COVID rules such as “essential travel only” to make the final sale. I have no doubt that many will also be selling unvaccinated pups, using COVID as an excuse for that, too.
Papers, please
Worryingly, I have witnessed a fraudulent first vaccine certificate being presented with a pup. Any vet who regularly signs vaccine certificates would recognise it immediately as fake, but to the unsuspecting owner, why would he or she question the presentation of formal paperwork?
It is absolutely infuriating that such immoral individuals are raising animals – if they’ve lied about vaccines, what else have they lied about? And what conditions are the poor pups being born into?
Even more concerning is an increase in suspected illegal imports, with puppies being presented far too young to have followed the correct rabies vaccination protocol. Not only are the owners being misled and sold a puppy from abroad in poor health, but these carry a very real public health risk.
Seeking advice
With demand so high and so many alleged breeders, it is more important than ever to do your research. Talk to vets for advice on specific breeds or general puppy needs and what to look out for when buying a puppy. The Puppy Contract website has lots of information to help with responsible puppy buying.
I appreciate it is very difficult to follow the normal recommendations, with many geographical areas still under various COVID restrictions. If breeders aren’t prepared to offer solutions in line with COVID advice – such as meeting the mum/puppies in the garden, offering video calls to see the pups and discuss suitability – walk away.
The best option, if possible, is to buy from a known breeder who you or friends/relatives have had pups from pre-COVID, and at that time allowed the buyers to see the environment, gave regular updates of the pups and so on.
If in doubt
Because it’s so much harder to assess whether you’re buying from a “good” breeder, consider waiting.
Buying a puppy right now is just feeding the issue. While demand exists, people will continue to breed their dogs. In the past few weeks I’ve witnessed inexperienced owners bring their puppies in for first vaccines and already talking about breeding them later in life.
Finally, consider your vets, who are incredibly busy, still. You may have to wait longer to get the puppy vaccinated, which may impact on the start of its life. Ultimately, seriously consider whether now is really a suitable time to buy a puppy.
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