Sussex animal lovers being tricked into buying sick pets (From The Argus)

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Sussex animal lovers being tricked into buying sick pets

12:58pm Monday 11th January 2010 in News By Ruth Lumley

People are being duped into buying dogs from puppy farms without knowing.

The Dogs Trust, which has a rehoming centre in Shoreham, has seen an increase in calls from many dog owners whose pets have suffered illness and in some cases died as a result of having been bred at puppy farms.

One Worthing family who wanted a miniature Labradoodle went to a breeder's house where they discovered the puppies were kept in a terrible condition.

Omar Rafique-King found a website advertising the puppies in June 2007 but said from the moment he arrived at the house he knew something was not right.

The animal they took home, Tilly, began hobbling within weeks of being taken home.

At the age of six months she was diagnosed with hip dysplasia, which is a genetic condition meaning she gets very sore legs, has a permanent limp and cannot go on long walks.

Good breeders do checks to make sure the condition is not passed on but Tilly was not that fortunate.

She has cost the family about £300 in vet bills so far and she is only two and a half years old.

The Dogs Trust is calling for immediate measures to help to stop the puppy farming trade and is asking for the Government and local authorities to review existing breeding licensing legislation.

The Dogs Trust offers advice for anyone looking to buy a puppy. The guide can be downloaded from www.dogstrust.org.uk.

Comments(9)

cheezburger says...
1:32pm Mon 11 Jan 10

People should not be buying dogs in the first place. If you want a dog there are more than enough rescue centres, such as The Dog's Trust. Please do not buy dogs, they aren't objects.