Don’t Save a Puppy By Buying Them, Blow The Whistle
The RSPCA is the British equivalent of the SPCA. It stands for Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Because they run shelters and concern themselves with animal welfare, I was very surprised and shocked to see them prominently displayed on a website like www.puppies-forsale.co.uk , which is a site that blatantly promotes the sale of dogs from breeders. Of course, when someone is bent on looking at puppies for sale rather than going to a shelter, the dogs still deserve to be looked out for as far as health and welfare. There is not question about that, and sometimes they need it even more. However, the presence of the RSPCA logo and tip sheet implies endorsement. It confuses people whether the RSPCA is affiliated or they are merely being credited for their puppy selection tip sheet. Most people will not fully investigate and assume it means the former, especially since the logo is prominent on the website, as if they are a sponsor!
The RSPCA suggests: “Don’t ever buy from someone who offers to deliver your puppy, or who arranges to meet you somewhere.“ I agree. Fancy websites with beautiful photos often hide what they don’t want you to see. However, there is also an alternate type of scam where you pay hundreds of dollars to “help” a dog. I continue to be shocked about the number of people that decide to buy a pup, go to the place, and see horrible conditions. They fork over the money to the “breeder” because they feel they are “saving” the puppy. The more appropriate response would be to contact an animal welfare agency. People that keep their dogs in poor condition should be stopped, not just for the welfare of one dog, but for all of them. Most of the time, the rescue of any pet in bad conditions is admirable, but in these cases, even though it is hard to walk away, leave it to experienced rescuers, as it will serve to help all the dogs versus continuing to pad the pockets of a greedy person.
Upon further reading, the RSPCA does also state: “Never buy a puppy just because you feel sorry for it. If you are concerned about the health or welfare of a puppy, please contact the RSPCA 24-hour cruelty and advice line: 0300 1234 999.”
Even though puppy mills and backyard breeders “hide right out in the open” as I mentioned, there are other things to watch out for. When you see a classified of dogs for sale, and upon inquiry they need to “look at a list” to tell you how many they have, then this is often a multi breed puppymill hiding out. Also, classifieds are full of people who decide that they have a girl dog and boy dog, so therefore they should breed. There are also people out there that put out an ad as an act of desperation when an accident happens and they are overwhelmed. I have had some success contacting people about the low cost spay and neuter programs in the area so they don’t have further litters and they have been appreciative. I have even ran into them and the parent dogs later at the clinics and know that they did it. A few have even gone as far to spay the puppies before they went to new homes, and asked for a donation to their favorite charity rather than collecting the money.
Unfortunately, some people have the attitude that if its their pet, its their property to do what they like without thinking about the impact. It is all about them, and it doesn’t matter if the puppies may have health problems because they did not do their research, or even that there are so many others out there that need homes already. Maybe breed rescues, average people on the street, and those in breed clubs can stamp out animal abuse together.
If you have a friend that insists on purchasing a puppy, please educate them on the many puppies that are out there at shelters and pounds across the country. If they are set on a specific breed, there is a breed rescue for just about every type of dog. There may not be puppies at the moment, but they can be contacted when they are. A young dog who is past the housebreaking stage is also a good idea for them to think about. Puppies might be fun for awhile, but not everyone is equipped for the housebreaking and the teething. A slightly older dog, who was given up because they “got to big” may be a better match.
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