Puppy Love
Puppy trafficking has become a huge problem, not only for the puppies bred in unbearable conditions, but for those who buy a pet only for it to fall sick within days.
Puppy Love?
Some breeders try to make an easy living by breeding dogs in appalling conditions - where puppies are ill, overcrowded and live in filthy conditions, with no water or bedding and very little food.
A pet shop license can be bought by people living in private dwellings and the premise is not inspected for its suitability by the local authority who grants the license. With a license, people can sell to pet shops and private buyers. This is how many puppy farms start - they are not inspected according to the Animal Welfare Act of 2007 and RSPCA inspectors are denied access.
Puppy farmers, as they are often called, tend to administer their own veterinary treatment to keep costs down. They plunge the dogs into harsh chemicals that often burn the skin, in order to ‘treat’ painful conditions like mange and fleas. Older dogs are often neglected and female puppies who catch and break a leg in the wire cages, are likely to go untreated and instead of being sold - will be used for breeding.
Many dogs go on to suffer years of such torture and most people are none the wiser. They buy a puppy from a pet shop, respond to a newspaper advert or an internet site, and have no idea of the puppy's origins. When the puppy has been bought and falls ill (as most do as a result of their poor start in life) the buyer is rarely able to get a refund and the puppy farmers tend to emotionally blackmail buyers into keeping the sick puppy. As a result the buyer is left with the heart-breaking situation of a neglected and ill puppy and a huge vet bill.
With increased access to sources where you can buy these ill-treated dogs, this appalling trade will only continue to prosper unless we take action.
What can you do to help?
- Write to your local athority and make them aware of your concerns.
- Make friends, family and colleagues aware of puppy farms.
- Sign up to the RSPCA Campaign.
- If anyone you know is looking to buy a puppy, advise them to buy one from a reputable source and direct them to this site.
On a final and rather sad note, this is my last Ethical Travel article for the E-zine. I'll be sorry to leave you folks but this is goodbye, so good luck to you all and keep your travelling ethical.
- Jen Page
