RSPCA warning over puppies brought to the UK from abroad

The number of people looking at puppies for sale online was six times higher during lockdown, than before it, according to the animal charity the RSPCA.

There were 15,000 Google searches for 'puppies near me' in July 2020, compared to 2,000 in January 2020.

Meanwhile the number of people getting licenses to bring dogs into the country from abroad, has more than doubled, something the charity says it's concerned about.

"We have seen a rise in people searching for dogs to adopt during lockdown, which is fantastic, but at the same time, there appears to be a rise in people looking to buy puppies," said RSPCA Chief Executive Chris Sherwood.

The charity says if a puppy has been bred abroad before coming to the UK, it's hard to know if it has been cared for properly. This might mean it has serious medical and behavioural problems.

Chris said: "We know that there are not enough puppies bred in the UK to meet the demands of those who want to buy them and, worryingly, there appears to be a surge in puppies coming in from outside the UK.

"The problem with this is that, although breeders from countries like Romania are licensed, we have no way of checking the conditions those animals are being kept in and we fear that sales like these could be fuelling cruel puppy farms as well as exposing puppies to long and stressful journeys."

Earlier this year a study carried out by the dog welfare organisation The Kennel Club suggested one in four dog owners who bought their puppy during the pandemic may have purchased them from a puppy farm.

A puppy farm is a place where puppies are bred to be sold for money. They often aren't looked after properly and the conditions they're kept in aren't always good enough for the puppies to have a healthy start to life.

During October, the RSPCA is suggesting people adopt puppies and dogs in care who need new homes, it's part of a campaign they've named 'Adoptober'.

Last year the charity re-homed a total of 7,480 dogs across England and Wales - which worked out at one dog every 90 minutes. But it still has many more dogs waiting to find a new place to live.

Bandit, a two-year-old Lurcher has been hoping to find a new place to live for 18 months

Bandit, a two-year-old Lurcher has been hoping to find a new place to live for 18 months and was the only dog from last year's 'Adoptober' who failed to find a new home. He was given to the RSPCA after his previous owners realised they couldn't keep up with him.

RSPCA dog welfare expert Dr Samantha Gaines said: "We are concerned that some families may not be considering the long-term commitment of taking on a dog and how they'll care for their new pet post-lockdown.

"The message here is simple: do lots of research to help find the right pet for your family and don't impulse buy," she said.