Calls for action to tackle ‘worrying’ puppy sale trends

New legislation may be needed to reverse the “deeply worrying” puppy purchase trends that have persisted even after the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have warned.

An RVC study has found the proportion of puppies being sold with passports more than doubled between 2019 and 2021, with a growing proportion of those also under the minimum legal import age.

Defra has insisted new measures will be brought forward, though it has also urged would-be owners to carry out their own research before making a purchase.

But lead author Rowena Packer said a swift response was needed from lawmakers to the “concerning shift” of supply patterns identified by the report.

She said: “This is deeply worrying and requires urgent measures to avoid associated welfare harms upon the puppies themselves, but also their mothers outside of the UK and to public health, given infectious disease risks posed by importation to owners and other dogs in the UK.

“Measures to improve puppy buying include continuing efforts to raise awareness and change the behaviour of prospective puppy buyers, but also legislative change, including raising the minimum age of dogs at importation, to prevent the greatest harms.”

Passport

The analysis, which has been published in the journal Animals, compared puppies aged less than 16 weeks that were purchased from private sellers between 23 March and 31 December 2021, with the same periods in the preceding two years.

It found that the proportion of puppies being purchased with passports rose from 4.1% in 2019 to 10.4% in 2021.

More than 89% were also acquired before the age of 13 weeks, below the minimum legal import age of 15 weeks, which the study suggested “likely indicates an increase in illegal importations of puppies to the UK” over that period.

The report said a lack of progress on the Kept Animals Bill – which was finally dropped last month – along with insufficient penalties for offenders and a failure to increase minimum import ages, meant there was “a reliance upon changing consumer behaviour” to tackle the problem.

‘Legislative approaches’

It added that increased monitoring and interventions to change human behaviour would be needed to tackle the problem going forward, along with “legislative approaches to prevent the greatest harm”.

The comments echo concerns raised by many veterinary and welfare organisations since the bill’s demise.

In response, a Defra spokesperson said: “Buyers must do their research and ensure they go to a reputable seller or rehoming centre when looking for a pet.

“We are committed to delivering the Kept Animals Bill measures individually, including on puppy smuggling, during the remainder of this Parliament and look forward to progressing these. We will be setting out next steps in due course.“

Swift response

However, BVA president Malcolm Morley said a swift response was now “imperative” following a report he described as “worrying reading”.

He said: “BVA is particularly concerned about the sustained rise in the number of puppies younger than 15 weeks old being imported into the UK since the pandemic, a practice that is severely detrimental to their welfare.

“The Kept Animals Bill held the potential to tackle this issue. Now, it is imperative for the Government to urgently deliver its commitment and implement a ban on the import of puppies under six months through alternative legislation.

“In the meantime, it’s essential that prospective owners are encouraged to use the AWF [Animal Welfare Foundation] Puppy Contract as a tool to help them spot unscrupulous traders.”

Encouraging sign

The paper did offer a more encouraging sign as the proportion of buyers who saw their puppy’s dam at the seller’s premises in 2021 (84.9%t) was only just below pre-pandemic levels (85.7% in 2019), having dropped to just more than 75% in 2020.

But it found that puppies were still less likely to be collected from inside breeders’ properties viewed in person before purchase, despite the passing of legislation in England in 2019 that made it illegal for a puppy to be sold away from its place of birth, or than before the pandemic.

It also reported that one in four puppies were being sold for more than £2,000 each and warned that high prices should not be seen as a guarantee of quality.

Dr Packer said the analysis showed many would-be owners were still “vulnerable” to purchasing puppies from sources with poor welfare.

She added: “Given the critical importance of both breeding and early life experiences upon the future health and behaviour of puppies, this shows there are significant efforts required to improve buyer behaviours and safeguard the welfare of future generations of UK dogs.”