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Don't get sold a pup
THE head of a North West animal charity has warned potential pet purchasers to beware of dogs being sold through newspaper small ads in the New Year.
Helen Davies from the Rainbow Rehoming Sanctuary in Eglinton expressed concern after a number of adverts for puppies appeared in UK papers bearing the promise 'can deliver'.
She says that anyone wishing to buy a puppy or dog should see it in its home surroundings and get proof of health checks and vaccinations as well as papers for dogs described as 'pedigree' before handing over any money.
Ms Davies added that many people hand over high amounts of cash for dogs which are mixed breeds or ill, without knowing any better.
It has also emerged that some ads in the UK mainland where the seller promises delivery are a front for a scam, in which the buyer sends money so that the dog can be delivered from either London or a remote area in Ireland or Scotland; however the seller then keeps the money. and no dog is delivered.
"It is unbelievable what people will do to make money," Helen said.
"Most people who say they will deliver a dog and do not want people to come and collect it don't want people to see the dog in their normal surroundings, which speaks for itself.
"A good breeder won't mind you coming to see the pup, its mother, father and where it has been raised and socialised. People should never buy a dog out of the boot of a car at the side of the road purely for convenience.
"Most of these dogs sold in this way haven't been wormed, vaccinated and can be very unhealthy and need lots of vet treatment. Many dogs are sold unscrupulously with 'papers' off the internet and are mongrels rather than pure-breeds, but cost hundreds of pounds."
She added: "A lot of people think that the more money they pay, the better dog they will get. We had a call from a woman who spent over 300 on a 'pedigree', it turned out to be a cross-breed, it was ill and she had to spend hundreds of pounds in the vets as it had parvo-virus, which it wouldn't have caught if it had been vaccinated.
"No one should ever buy a dog unseen, especially if they are inexperienced around dogs.
"Luckily this dog has found a loving home, but equally, if you buy from a puppy farm because you feel sorry for the dogs, then you are fuelling the trade - laws here need to be tightened to make this stop."
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Weather for Londonderry
Sunday 27 May 2012
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