Dog owners have been urged to take care when making a financial decision. You may want to check over the paperwork for your pet. Experts at security checks group SmartSearch has issued some importance guidance for dog owners.
The group has calculated that some 4.3 million dogs in UK homes may have been purchased from illegal or high-risk breeders. The figure is based on research from The Royal Kennel Club, which found 26 per cent of families who bought a puppy said they may have purchased their pooch from a puppy farm or an irresponsible breeder.
If the number of dogs continues to grow at the current rate, this could rise to 5 million dogs linked to puppy farms by 2031. The experts fear this could particularly affect sought-after cross-breeds such as Labradoodles, Cockapoos and Cavapoos.
Phil Cotter, CEO at SmartSearch, urged dog owners: “The same principle we tell regulated firms applies to consumers too: know who you are dealing with, verify the source and don’t rely on appearances alone. Alarm bells should ring if a seller is pushing to complete the sale quickly, insisting on cash, refusing to let you visit in person or avoiding basic questions about where the puppy has come from.”
He pointed out some other telltale signs a breeder is not legitimate: “You should also be cautious if the breeder cannot show you the puppy with its mother, appears to have several litters available at the same time, has incomplete paperwork or no vaccination records, or is operating through vague online profiles with changing names and contact details. These are often signs that something is not as it seems.”
The team at SmartSearch urged people to look out for these warning signs:
- No home viewings offered – Refusing in-person visits or suggesting meeting away from the breeder’s home
- Mother/breeding environment not shown – Will not allow access to or photos of the puppies’ living conditions, or won’t show you the puppy with its mother
- Multiple litters available and always ‘ready now’ – Several litters or breeds offered at once can mean a large scale or commercial building with high-volume breeding
- Missing paperwork – No vaccination records, microchipping details, health checks or breeding documentation provided, or refusal to share veterinary history or health testing
- No buyer screening – No questions asked about the buyer’s home, experience or suitability
- High-pressure sales tactics and ‘cash only’ pressure – Urging for a quick decision, claiming high demand, or suggests buyers will ‘miss out’ and / or demands cash payment
- Unverifiable seller identity – Vague listings, inconsistent names, frequently changing contact details online
- Third-party handovers – Suggesting meeting in car parks, service stations or other neutral locations rather than the breeder’s home.
View 2 ImagesCockapoos are a popular dog breed(Image: Getty)
Mr Cotter warned people often don’t realise these criminal operations can be very large-scale enterprises. He said: “Illegal puppy trading has long been associated with poor breeding conditions, forged paperwork and misleading online adverts, but the wider criminal links receive far less attention.
“Too many people believe they are simply buying a family pet. They may be putting money into networks built on deception, exploitation and criminal profit.
“The illegal wildlife trade is estimated by Interpol to generate up to $20 billion every year, making it one of the world’s most lucrative criminal markets. It is increasingly linked to organised crime, corruption and violence.”