- A quarter of owners admit their pet may have been purchased from puppy farm
- Convenience-driven puppy buying is fuelling a ‘puppy welfare crisis’
A third of puppies bought on a whim get sick or die before they reach their first birthday, shocking figures reveal.
Experts have warned that convenience culture is fuelling a puppy welfare crisis, as a quarter of owners admit their pet may have accidentally been purchased from a puppy farm.
The statistics, revealed as part of The Kennel Club’s ‘Be Puppywise’ campaign, show that a quarter of owners won’t travel more than an hour to pick up their puppy and 29 per cent spend less than a day researching their decision and the breeder.
This convenience-driven puppy buying behaviour is having dramatic consequences for our nation’s pets, with 31 per cent of those bought with less than a day’s research getting sick or dying in their first year, the data revealed.
Amongst owners who spent less than a day researching, almost two-thirds experienced other complications with their pups including unexpected behavioural issues and high health costs.
Experts have warned that convenience culture is fuelling a puppy welfare crisis, as a quarter of owners admit their pet may have accidentally been purchased from a puppy farm
The research also found that owners who only travel an hour to pick up their pet are regularly missing key red flags.
More than half said they didn’t see their puppy interacting with its mum or see the puppy’s breeding environment.
Around two-thirds didn’t see their puppy’s vaccination certificates, and more than three-quarters weren’t asked by the breeders whether they would be suitable for puppy ownership.
The survey also suggests this impulsive purchasing could be fuelled by the lure of ‘puppy dog eyes’ on social media and trends driven by celebrities.
Almost half of all UK puppy buyers said their main motivation for their puppy choice was either how they look, or because they saw the type of dog on television, social media or with a celebrity.
Charlotte McNamara, Head of Health at The Kennel Club, said: ‘This dangerous convenience culture has become a cancer for puppy welfare.
Almost half of all UK puppy buyers said their main motivation for their puppy choice was either how they look, or because they saw the type of dog on television, social media or with a celebrity (stock image)
‘Getting a dog is a long-term commitment and any decision should not be made lightly, superficially or without effort.
‘We absolutely urge anyone thinking of getting a puppy take the time to do proper, careful and extensive research and make sure the pup is right for you, and that you can spot the signs of a bad breeder.
‘Be willing to wait and go the distance for the sake of your new family member. The more time you spend, the more likely you are to bring home a happy, healthy puppy, rather than fuelling untold suffering and heartache.’
She warned that not doing so is ‘enabling duplicitous rogue puppy sellers to flourish and operate with little scrutiny’.
The findings were based on a survey of 2,610 dog owners carried out this month.
