The UK Kennel Club has warned that over one in five (22%) of puppies are now falling ill or dying before their first birthday.
Unscrupulous breeders, virtual sales during the coronavirus pandemic, and the rising cost of living have all been blamed for the canine health crisis.
According to a Kennel Club survey of 3,000 British dog owners, this figure rises to more than one in three, or 36%, for dogs purchased without their new owners meeting them first, the organization told The Telegraph.
The relatively poorer health of puppies bought sight unseen suggests that inhumane breeders are responsible. The Kennel Club noted that there has been a threefold increase in the number of people buying puppies on social media, with a third purchasing dogs before seeing them in real life.
One in nine dogs are now being collected from a neutral location, meaning buyers aren’t able to see the conditions in which they were raised.
Regardless of where the puppies came from, more and more owners are finding themselves unable to afford vet bills once their new pets fall sick. With inflation in the UK crossing the 10% threshold last month and millions of Britons potentially facing a winter of heat and food shortages, the Kennel Club found that 30% of new owners agreed with the statement: “I don’t know if I can afford to keep my dog if the cost of living continues to rise.”
“The virtual puppy buying habits that were normalized during lockdown – which have enabled shady breeders to thrive – have combined in a perfect and terrible storm with the cost of living crisis,” Kennel Club chief executive Mark Beazley said.
“For anyone thinking about getting a dog, please avoid this heartache and incredible suffering, and make sure you find a responsible breeder, who absolutely prioritizes your dog’s welfare above anything else,” he added.
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