6 important things to remember before getting a puppy this Christmas
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We’ve all heard the message ‘A dog is for life, not just for Christmas’, yet dogs, and particularly cute puppies, are still given as Christmas presents. As well as the responsibility of taking on a dog being far more onerous than your average present that isn’t living and breathing, a new warning has been issued urging parents to be wary of buying puppies from unlicensed sellers online.
The warning, from the Scottish Crown Office and Scottish SPCA, says organised crime gangs are involved in illegal puppy farming and use huge profits from the sale of pups to help fund gang-related crime, including the distribution of illegal drugs and money laundering.
Kenny Donnelly from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, says: “We know that many parents may be considering buying a puppy for their children at this time of year as a Christmas present. “We would urge people to carry out proper research and only purchase puppies from authorised breeders. Organised crime gangs continue to spread their malign influence into illegal puppy farming and use the huge profits they accrue from it to inflict widespread harm on communities.”.
Dr Samantha Gaines, head of the RSPCA companion animals department, says: “Pets can be an amazing addition to our lives, but we’d never advise anyone to buy an animal for someone else as a gift. “Taking on an animal should be really carefully considered by the person who is going to be responsible for them, so they can be absolutely certain they’re going to be able to provide that animal with the time, knowledge and finances to look after him or her.”.
