Suffolk pet owners urged to do research to avoid using puppy farms
A new report shows one in three puppies bought on impulse get sick or die before their first birthday
New shocking research has uncovered the extent of puppy farming in the UK, with the findings highlighting how unprepared, prospective dog owners are driving the rise in puppy farms across the UK.
The statistics, from the Kennel Club, show that a quarter of dog owners (25%) won't travel more than an hour to pick up or visit their puppy before welcoming it into their home, with almost 3 in 10 admitting they spend less than a day researching their decision and the breeder.
With dog ownership rising drastically in recent years, more than one in four (28%) of dog owners admit their pet may have unintentionally been purchased from a puppy farm.
Perhaps more concerningly, more than one in two (56%) didn't see their puppy interacting with its mum before collecting their new dog, or the puppy's breeding environment and where they slept, ate or played (53%).
The charity says that checking the health of a puppy is vital and preparing your home for a new dog is vital, however, around two-thirds (63%) didn't see their puppy's vaccination certificates.
More than three-quarters (77%) weren't asked about suitability for puppy ownership - indicating an increasing likelihood of impulse pup purchases without buyers understanding the full responsibilities and commitment of ownership.
To help address this growing issue, The Kennel Club have launched their 'Be Puppywise' campaign aimed at helping want-to-be dog owners find a legitimate breeder, with resources available to the public to ensure they aren't unwillingly buying their dog from a puppy farm.
"It's really very upsetting"
We spoke to Kate Broer, the Kennel Club's Eastern representative.
She told us that puppy farms are a huge concern for them: "People are breeding dogs for profit and money, essentially over the health and welfare of the animals, either in their care or that they're selling on."
She went on to say that the dogs are often bred at an "alarming rate" and brought up in terrible conditions: "They're not taken to the vets if they do get illnesses.
"Diseases such as parvo are very prevalent in high-intensity breeding situations like that.
"They won't just have one lovely, nice litter of Labradors on the ground. They'll have 20-30 dogs all breeding at the same time.
"And the kennels won't be clean. It's really very upsetting."
We asked Kate why people purchasing puppies often don't realise that they're buying from a puppy farm.
She told us that the people running the farms, often meet the buyers away from where they're bred: "Breeders will often suggest that they meet you at a motorway service or at somebody else's house so that you won't go and see the puppies in the awful conditions they have been raised in."
If people are considering buying a puppy, Kate recommends doing thorough research: "Go to a vet, ask them where they might look or go to local breed clubs if you're interested in a specific breed.
"Perhaps get a friend's recommendations if they've bought a really great puppy.
"You can even stop and ask people in the park if they've got a really happy, healthy puppy."