More people than usual have had puppies during the Covid pandemic, and some in questionable ways, reports Four Paws. “Unfortunately, people are too swayed by cute pictures in online ads. They then spontaneously make a purchase decision and fall into the trap of illegal puppy traffickers,” said campaign manager Veronika Weissenböck. Often these animals are sick, many would even die.
37 percent with health problems
About 30% of the roughly 250 participants from Austria in a multi-country study bought a puppy that was less than six weeks old. 37 percent of dogs whose age at the time of purchase was below the legal minimum age of eight weeks had health problems. 24% of those who discovered diseases in their animals purchased via Instagram. The survey was carried out in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Bulgaria with a total of 2,284 people who bought a puppy in the period in question.
For 72% of all respondents, motivation for a dog as a pet increased during crown lockdown, Four Paws reported. The most popular dog breed in this country at that time was the Golden Retriever. According to the survey, a good quarter of retriever puppies bought at the time had health problems quickly.
Bought through social media
A total of 55 percent of sick puppies were acquired through social media in participating countries. Instagram was the most common source at 23%.
In Austria, 38 percent of all those who bought their dog through social media reported health problems. “Here we see the clear discrepancy between reputable breeders and illegal puppy dealers, who can freely sell on social media platforms due to lack of controls. said Weissenböck.
In Austria, only officially registered breeders can sell animals online. According to an amendment to the Internal Market Ordinance, dogs from abroad can only be legally imported with a valid rabies vaccination and, therefore, only from the 16th week of life.