Dog owners have been warned to exercise caution when making a financial decision regarding their pet. Experts from identity verification firm SmartSearch have issued some vital guidance around warning signs for dog owners to consider.
The organisation has estimated that approximately 4.3 million dogs in UK households may have been acquired from illegal or high-risk breeders. This figure is derived from research conducted by The Royal Kennel Club, which found that 26 per cent of families who bought a puppy believed they may have unwittingly purchased their pet from a puppy farm or an irresponsible breeder. Should the number of dogs continue to increase at the current rate, this figure could climb to 5 million dogs linked to puppy farms by 2031.
Experts are particularly concerned this could impact popular 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 highlighted several further warning signs that a breeder may not be legitimate.
Mr Cotter said: “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.”
Warning signs
The team at SmartSearch urged people to look out for these warning signs:
A widespread problem
Mr Cotter said that people often fail to recognise 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 $20billion every year, making it one of the world’s most lucrative criminal markets. It is increasingly linked to organised crime, corruption and violence.”
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