Illegal puppy trade during the pandemic also in Austria
More people than usual have gotten puppies during the Covid pandemic, and quite a few in questionable ways, Four Paws reports. “Unfortunately, people let themselves be influenced far too much by the cute photos in online ads. They then spontaneously make a purchase decision and fall into the trap of illegal puppy dealers,” said campaign manager Veronika Weissenböck. Often such animals are sick, many would even die.
Around 30 percent of the approximately 250 participants from Austria in a study in several countries bought a puppy that was less than six weeks old. 37 percent of the dogs whose age at the time of purchase was less than the legal minimum age of eight weeks had health problems. 24 percent of those who discovered diseases in their animal had purchased it via Instagram. The survey was conducted in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Bulgaria with a total of 2,284 people who bought a puppy during the period in question.
For 72 percent of all, the motivation for a dog as a pet had increased during the corona lockdowns, the Four Paws reported. The most popular dog breed in this country at that time was the Golden Retriever. According to the survey, a good quarter of the retriever puppies bought at the time quickly developed health problems.
A total of 55 percent of the diseased puppies were acquired via social media in the participating countries. Instagram was the most common source at 23 percent.
In Austria, 38 percent of all those who bought their puppies via social media reported health problems. “Here we see the clear discrepancy between reputable breeders and illegal puppy dealers, who can sell freely on social media platforms due to a lack of controls. Alone 24 percent of Austrian dog owners whose puppies became ill indicated Instagram as a source of supply,” said Weissenböck.
In Austria, only officially registered breeders are allowed to sell animals online. According to an amendment to the Internal Market Ordinance, dogs from abroad can only be legally imported with a valid rabies vaccination and thus only from the 16th week of life.