Buying a Puppy
Don’t be Sold a Pup
Sadly there are unscrupulous rogue traders who are making money
by selling ‘pedigree’ puppies that may not be from a licensed
breeder but be part of a commercial mass breeding activity or
‘puppy farm’. These are places where dogs are bred purely for
profit with no regard for the welfare of the puppies. The puppies
are often reared in poor conditions without any human contact,
adequate food or care. They often will have suffered from being
separated from their mothers too early.
Families looking to buy a puppy are urged to be extremely
wary.
Never buy a puppy on impulse. Always take time to do some
research first and check to see if the breeder is licensed by the
Council. If they are running a dog breeding business then they must
be licensed.
If you are buying from a private seller try to get advice or a
recommendation from friends or family who know the person. Remember
that some sellers pretend to be private sellers to avoid their
legal obligations.
Sick Puppies
Families can end up with a puppy that has physical defects,
severe infections, hereditary disease and behaviourial problems. In
the worst cases, the animals can die leaving the family distressed
and left with nothing but very expensive vet bills.
The Safeguards
- Buy, where possible, from a source recommended by a friend or
family.
- Never buy from an unlicensed breeding establishment unless you
know that they are a genuine private seller.
- Seek advice from reputable clubs for example the Kennel Club
who have a list of accredited breeders with available puppies on
their website.
- Seek advice of local organisations involved in dog welfare and
management
- Check the premises are clean and tidy.
- Always ask to see the puppy with its mother in their home
environment. But beware that traders may put a puppy with a dog
that isn’t the mother. Look for signs that the puppy doesn’t
respond naturally to the other dog or other litter mates.
- Be wary that the puppy you take home might not be the one you
selected. Think carefully about this especially for puppies that
have few distinguishing marks.
- Check they are healthy, friendly and approachable – never buy a
puppy that looks ill or underweight.
- Don’t take home puppies younger than 8 weeks and if they are
from a trader rather than private sale make sure you get their
vaccination certificates.
- Be wary if the seller claims to be selling for a friend.
- Avoid adverts offering lots of different breeds for sale.
- Don’t assume that newspaper or internet adverts indicate that
an establishment is licensed.
- Ask to see a breeders licence. Legally this should be on public
display. Note the details and check with the Council’s list of
licensed premises. If in doubt contact the Council concerned.
- Get a receipt for the puppy and make sure it indicates the name
of the person selling you the dog and the address of the premises
where you buy the puppy from.
- If a breeder indicates the puppy is Kennel Club registered then
check this with them.
Tell us if you suspect you have bought a puppy from an
unlicensed breeder
Help us to protect animal welfare and prevent unlicensed dog
breeding. Tell us about incidents of “bargain” puppies for sale so
that we can track down the source. Let us know if you have bought a
puppy from a trader and find that it is seriously ill soon after
you have taken it home.
The only way we can stop this terrible trade is by ensuring that
people are careful where they buy their puppies and never buy from
an unlicensed establishment unless you are certain it’s a genuine
private sale.
Licensed Dog Breeding Establishment in Ashford
A list of licensed Dog Breeding Establishments is available on
the Council’s Online Public Register of Licences and Registrations.
View
the licences issued by Ashford Borough Council. Alternatively
contact us and we will check the register for you.
Refer to our dog breeding establishment webpages for more
information on licence conditions.
Useful contacts
Further Information
For further information contact:
Environmental Health Service, Civic Centre, Tannery Lane,
Ashford TN23 1PL
Telephone: 01233 330578
Email the Environmental Health
Team
Fax: 01233 330469
This webpage was updated on
11/28/2008