Warning as advertisers flout coronavirus guidelines to lure puppy buyers

6 April 2020 - Our Family Dog (ourfamilydog.org.uk) is advising people not to buy a puppy during the coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown, as a worrying number of classified advertisements which flout the UK government’s ‘stay at home’ guidelines are identified.

Many advertisements on classified websites are offering puppies as available now, with some setting out measures for social distancing. However, visiting a litter of puppies or collecting a puppy from a breeder is not considered essential travel and could contribute to the spread of the virus.

“These advertisements both pull on the heartstrings of potential puppy buyers and attempt to lure people who are concerned about complying with the government’s guidelines, to buy a puppy,” said Our Family Dog’s founder, Justine Williams.

Our Family Dog also warns that whilst the idea of getting a puppy during this time of lockdown may on the surface seem like a good idea it is in fact the worst time to get a puppy. This is because vets are providing emergency care only and are not vaccinating new puppies, and puppy socialisation and training classes are not currently taking place.

This warning comes on the day that Lucy’s Law, new legislation which bans the third party sale of puppies and kittens, comes into force. This means that puppies can now only be sold directly from the breeder and the place where they were born.

Our Family Dog is a community interest company, established in 2019 to provide advice and support to new puppy owners, many of whom struggle in the early months with caring for their pet. It aims to reduce the number of dogs that are given up for adoption by their owners, by better preparing people for dog ownership.

Existing puppy owners can find helpful advice and resources at ourfamilydog.org.uk to support them through this challenging time.

-ends-

Editor’s notes

For all enquiries, please email justine@ourfamilydog.org.uk

Website: https://ourfamilydog.org.uk

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest: @OurFamilyDogUK

Images taken from a snapshot of classified advertisements of puppies for sale, identified via an online search carried out on Monday 6 April 2020 can be downloaded from this Google folder