Opinion on Sunday: No puppy love for traders in animal horror

THE recent seizures of almost 200 pedigree dogs and puppies from 'puppy farms' in the Republic has brought a thriving traffic in animal misery and human grief out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

Hopefully the media interest and the heightened public awareness generated will help the USPCA and their southern counterparts, the ISPCA & DSPCA, make significant inroads into a profit-driven racket.

The operators manning the National Animal Help Line listen to many heart- broken purchasers who have bought pedigree puppies from 'breeders' only to have them die within days.

Imagine the anguish of the three young children from Dungannon whose Golden Cocker puppy died from parvo-virus within 48 hours of it joining the family, or the retired couple from Newtownards who bought a Westie to replace a lost companion animal. Within three days of arriving home, the dog was so ill the vet recommended the only humanitarian course of action was to put their new puppy to sleep.

Paddy Duffy and his colleagues on the Help Line (028 90 814 242) have heard stories like these time and again.

To many people, a pedigree puppy is a fashion accessory. It's trendy to be seen with the 'in' breed on the end of a lead. Demand outstrips supply and pedigree puppies fetch premium prices, typically pounds 250 for a Westie, pounds 1,000 for a St Bernard. Unscrupulous breeders, against veterinary advice, force a bitch to produce two litters, of perhaps 10 puppies each, within a 12-month period. They breed them until they either die or are incapable of conceiving. At this point, and no longer a cash generating asset, they end their days being despatched with a spade.

Buy a load of scrap cars to use as breeding cages, increase the number of bitches tenfold, and you don't need to be a rocket scientist to appreciate the money to be generated from puppy farming.

Do not confuse 'puppy farms' with legitimate breeders. The only thing that motivates farms and the dealers they supply is profit. The welfare of their animals is secondary to the welfare of their wallet.

The breeders feed a network of dog dealers across the UK with litters that are advertised as 'cute and adorable' to unsuspecting readers of the 'pets for sale' columns of newspapers or sold through unscrupulous pet shops.

For example: Mr B. wanted a Cavalier King Charles as a companion for his housebound wife. At 7.00pm he saw an advertisement for a litter in the evening paper. He picked up the phone, contacted the dealer and within two hours had travelled to a rendezvous point suggested to see a pup. At 10.00pm Mr B began his journey home having exchanged pounds 250 cash for an eight-week-old pup.

It became apparent the animal was unwell, a little food was offered, eaten and promptly vomited. By morning things were getting worse, the vomiting was accompanied by bloody diarrhoea, the tiny animal was dehydrated and it was admitted for observation by the family vet seriously concerned for its well being.

At 10pm on Thursday, exactly 48 hours after Mr B bought the puppy, it died. An autopsy report proved positive for canine parvovirus, a virulent and easily transmissible disease. It is probable this litter and any others making contact would be infected.

To heap insult on injury, he was told by the dealer she would only consider a refund if the puppy was returned in the condition in which it was bought, difficult when all you have is a corpse and an autopsy report.

On investigation, the USPCA established this litter came to the dealer from a puppy farm in Co Kerry. This is often the case. Litters are stripped from their mother, put in a cage and transported, stressed out, hundreds of miles to dealers.

Vaccination certificates are generally highly suspect or simply non-existent.

The quoted age of the animal is frequently wrong, several autopsy reports in USPCA hands verify the dental development of the animals as weeks younger than their supposed age.

The promised Kennel Club papers never arrive.

Litters at puppy farms are kept in filthy and cramped conditions in which the only thing to thrive is disease.

Over-breeding bitches shortens their lives and leaves them unable to produce fit and healthy offspring.

Bitches and puppies are denied exercise and human contact.

HOW DO I AVOID BUYING FROM PUPPY FARMS/ DEALERS?

l DON'T rendezvous with a dealer in a car park. You must insist on seeing the puppy with its mother

l DON'T buy from an unlicensed breeder, anyone with two breeding bitches or more must be licensed by their local authority

l DON'T respond to news- paper advertisements offering several different breeds for sale;

l DON'T buy from animals from market stalls

If you are unhappy about the condition of puppies offered for sale, contact the USPCA on 028 90 814 242.

Puppy farming survives because of two things, financial greed and a lack of awareness. Greed on the part of the breeders and their network of dealers and a lack of awareness by would-be buyers of pedigree pups.

Help us bring it to an end. We will continue to raid the farms and press for legislation to control their activities . You, the readers, have the power to stop this abuse of animals in its tracks.

How? Just stop buying the pups!

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