DSPCA issues Christmas puppy warning

THE Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) has urged the public to be wary of buying puppies over the internet in the run up to Christmas.

The animal welfare charity made the call at the launch of its Christmas campaign,

‘Adopt a pet don’t buy’.

Of the more than 1,600 animals rehomed by the DSPCA in the past 12 months, over 35 per cent of dogs were pedigree, according to the charity.

The DSPCA warned that many illicit puppy traders would shortly be offering

‘ready for Christmas’ puppies on popular internet sites.

DSPCA chief executive Brian Gillen said:

“Not alone have we seen a substantial increase in abandoned pedigree pets, post Celtic Tiger, but also a very worrying increase in pets purchased on the internet in line with the massive increase of online sales in general.

“We estimate that on any given day there are in excess of 10,000 dogs and puppies for sale online.

“At this time of year we start to see advertisements stating

‘ready for Christmas’, in other words puppies purposely bred for the Christmas market.

“People don’t realise that, even on a reputable website, many of the implied genuine sellers are simply unscrupulous dealers with puppies bred to order in the most appalling conditions, often inbred and susceptible to illnesses and disease that only become apparent in the weeks after the purchase.

“The only way to prevent this is for people to stop purchasing online.

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According to Mr Gillen, the number of pedigree pets taken into care by the DSPCA is at an all time high.

“Many of these are victims of the downturn as owners either emigrated or no longer wanted to pay for a

‘designer pet’,

? he added.

“All these dogs are carefully nurtured and only rehomed when our vets are satisfied that they are ready and have spent time in family environments as part of our fostering programme.

“If you decide to adopt an animal you are giving a home to a pet you know to be healthy and well adjusted as well as giving a rescued animal a second chance at life.

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If you wish to contact the DSPCA about adopting an animal or to make a donation, phone 01-4994700 or visit www.dspca.ie.