‘Petfishing’, the scourge of Christmas - why take the risk when you can adopt?
Defra and Crufts organisers The Kennel Club have warned people to be on the lookout for unscrupulous cat and dog sellers this Christmas. So-called ‘petfishing’ might be on the rise, but why shop when you can adopt?
As loath as we are to take any advice from The Kennel Club, the UK’s foremost dog breeding authority and organiser of Crufts has together with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) issued a stark warning to families this Christmas to be on the lookout for unscrupulous ‘petfishing’ ads or to rush into buying cats and dogs without taking the time to check for poor conditions and other welfare concerns.
These ads may claim to sell particular breeds of cats and dogs or take advantage of parents desperate to get the perfect kitten or puppy for their kids in time for Christmas, making mums and dads prime targets for getting ‘petfished’. But why take the risk or even consider buying from a breeder, even one certified as ‘reputable’, when there are so many animals in shelters?
According to reports, more than one in four cat and dog guardians have reported suspicious adverts to authorities, resulting in the launch of a new government campaign that aims to warn the public against this problem.
Demand for kittens, puppies and other companion animals is already at an all-time high as people looked for something to occupy their time during COVID lockdowns. In March, Surge reported on warnings issued by the RSPCA that many ‘lockdown puppies’ would suffer from anxiety and stress and exhibit behavioural problems such as aggression as their caregivers returned to work.
The fallout of lockdown for pets, rumours of further covid restrictions in the New Year and the Christmas rush may all exacerbate the problem of petfishing as shady sellers and breeders look to take advantage of families willing to take shortcuts like not visiting the seller or checking the conditions in which a kitten or puppy was raised, or doing adequate research into the warning signs of low welfare.
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"Puppies and kittens bred in low-welfare conditions can often be separated from their mother too soon which can lead to severe health and behavioural problems, heartache and high vet bills for their new family. We urge people to remain vigilant and to always thoroughly research pet sellers before getting in touch,” said Chief Veterinary Officer and Defra spokesperson Christine Middlemiss.
The public has been urged to look for red flags and take precautionary measures such as searching for a seller’s name and avoiding ones with lots of adverts, checking that kittens and puppies are raised with their mother for at least eight weeks from birth, and to ask for an animal’s health records, but with so many cats and dogs already in reputable shelters where their health is checked and issues identified, it begs the question, why would one take the risk of getting petfished when supporting any breeder at all - reputable or otherwise - is unjustifiable?
It is estimated that on any given day in the UK there are one hundred thousand dogs and an unknown number of cats living without homes, with 20,000 dogs euthanised each year as a result of not finding new families. Add to this the many health issues that have arisen as a result of selective breeding and manipulation of cat and dog characteristics by humans, a practice encouraged by The Kennel Club and exalted publicly in events like Crufts and other breeding shows.
For more about the problems with buying companion animals, watch the Surge video Is it vegan to buy pets? or visit the landing page for links to all the supporting information.
Andrew Gough is Media and Investigations Manager for Surge.
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