Poor people

Moobli

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The trouble is that people who aren't already dog owners just have no idea of the problems they might be laying themselves open to. All of us on the 'inside' as it were are only too well aware. A woman in my office had booked a Bichon Frise puppy from a kennel in Wales. I googled it and lovely website, lots of lovely dogs shown but they didn't breed BFs which was a huge warning flag to me, that and them being in Wales. She hadn't even met the pup but was booked to collect it on a particular date. Then suddenly it was cancelled, pup wasn't available but they would have another for her a bit later on. I jumped in at this point, told her what I thought and advised her to back out and source a pup more locally. She found a gorgeous little bitch pup bred by a family not too far away, was able to see the mum and the home it came from and all was well. Lovely healthy little dog that has now travelled to France and Spain with them. She had no clue about puppy farms and a glossy website totally fooled her as she did not know what warning flags to look for.
I know what you’re saying but there is little excuse these days for not doing even a tiny amount of research first - it’s all at your fingertips on Google. Little actual effort required.
 

AShetlandBitMeOnce

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A bit of a tangent to this thread but I think GoFundMe et al should be banned, other than for people who are doing something for charity like Sir Tom, or those cancer research walks. It's getting completely ridiculous. I saw one recently for a very well known drum & bass DJ who had died, the family were asking for £50k from his fans to cover the costs of all of the legal fees and paperwork to sell/release all of his investments!!! Another favourite is 'I have rescued (bought) this horse from a horrid owner (dealer) and I need support to get him up to full health (free horse) so he can feel loved (so I can sell him on)'. Stupid.

The people who bought this puppy were also stupid, and stupid people get stupid prizes. Stop putting this rubbish in the media and write the proper story of the pandemic of idiot animal owners.
 

fiwen30

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Bit of a tangent (requires it’s own thread?) but does anyone follow Mary & Secret, under my_aussie_gal on IG? Secret is an Australian Shepard, and Mary’s service dog - they’ve gone viral a fair few times, with videos of them doing yoga, or playing jenga together.

Secret was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in February, and of course a go fund me was tossed up, to the tune of $50k, for chemotherapy and then bone marrow transplant. They claimed that any excess funds would be used to ‘further research in helping dogs with cancer’ - no charity or organisation named.

Since then, the go fund me is at nearly $200k. There have been positive-spin updates, but Secret has also had low blood count, several infections, fevers, and weakness in her back legs.

I’m sure that Secret’s family love her dearly, and she’s very important to Mary. The internet also loves Secret dearly.

I suppose (for me) I’m not convinced that putting an animal through chemotherapy is ethical, given that they live in the moment, and don’t understand that this discomfort they’re in will be of benefit to them. The fact that chemotherapy is rarely beneficial long-term for animals, regardless. That there are thousands of owners having to make the choice to have their dearly loved pets PTS, not just because treatment is questionable, but because they don’t have strangers willing to give them 200k.

Also the sheer pressure of knowing there is 200k of other people’s money behind you, all of whom are deeply emotionally invested in your pet and their story. I can’t imagine how impossible it must be to try and remain objective about what’s best for your pet, when you have unlimited funds available, and thousands of people wanting and waiting (and have paid) to read some ‘miracle‘ story.

I’m not sure where I stand on whether or not go fund me pages should be allowed for things like vet fees. It’s admirable that people want to help others in difficult times, but shouldn’t we be responsible for our own dependents? Who gets to decide if Secret is more worthy than an unknown puppy with a heart problem? Of course, we want to do everything we can for our pets, and I wouldn’t be above begging myself - but can that stop us being objective?

I don’t believe Secret should be made to go through chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant, just because it can be afforded. I’m concerned as to how long this will go on for, and where all that money might end up.
 

SOS

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The trouble is that people who aren't already dog owners just have no idea of the problems they might be laying themselves open to. All of us on the 'inside' as it were are only too well aware. A woman in my office had booked a Bichon Frise puppy from a kennel in Wales. I googled it and lovely website, lots of lovely dogs shown but they didn't breed BFs which was a huge warning flag to me, that and them being in Wales. She hadn't even met the pup but was booked to collect it on a particular date. Then suddenly it was cancelled, pup wasn't available but they would have another for her a bit later on. I jumped in at this point, told her what I thought and advised her to back out and source a pup more locally. She found a gorgeous little bitch pup bred by a family not too far away, was able to see the mum and the home it came from and all was well. Lovely healthy little dog that has now travelled to France and Spain with them. She had no clue about puppy farms and a glossy website totally fooled her as she did not know what warning flags to look for.

I know someone else has replied to you but I just can’t sympathise with these people. As per my original post, why on earth would you make a commitment to something for 10-15 years without even researching it first? Because they are commodities.

Your example, if the woman googled ‘How to buy a puppy’ the FIRST listing is “Don’t get petfished” by gov.uk and goes into detail including viewing parents of the puppy before.

If you’re too stupid to do your research you’re probably too stupid to own a dog. I imagine most people won’t buy a new phone without researching a bit about it or going to speak to someone in the shop, a shiny picture doesn’t just win them over so why should it with a puppy.
 

Quigleyandme

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When my son was posted to Germany he took his dog with him. He had to sit an exam to demonstrate he had sufficient knowledge of dog care, control and needs and have a vet assessment of his dog’s appropriate socialisation before he could get the mandatory dog licence. My son is a vet and was there to work as a vet. Clearly daft people could still purchase a poorly puppy from unscrupulous breeders without producing their qualification but if dog licences were reintroduced and obtaining a licence was contingent on passing a knowledge test and a maybe a vet tech assessment of the puppy it might be a start. Mr and Mrs Stupid want to buy a fur baby from Cockerpoos-R-Us.co.uk but know they will need a licence and tear their eyes away from instagram long enough to glance at the practice test paper and maybe realise there is more to owning a dog than they thought. I recall the opposition to horse passports but now our horses have passports and microchips and we think nothing of it. I have a herd number and my horses are registered to my property and I have to inform the ministry when any changes to my herd occur. This is incase of equine disease outbreak which could have a devastating effect on the Irish economy. If we want to sell our house we must have a BER assessment. There was opposition to that but now it is just accepted practice. The systems we have aren’t perfect but they are a lot better than doing nothing. And I agree with ASBMO. GoFundMe and it’s ilk should confine their operation to legitimate charitable endeavours.
 

CorvusCorax

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I know there are plenty of glossy websites out there but the easiest thing to do is just....ask someone experienced.
There's a person in my breed who has an amazing website, talks the talk and their 'registration' certificates for a club that doesn't exist are snazzier than anything I've ever seen a kennel club put out. Laminated too.
But they operate from two addresses in different countries, the dogs aren't registered, no health tests, 'the microchip company has gone bust', they give out paperwork for dogs that have nothing to do with them (I tracked one down to Sweden!) and because they are HUGE and BIG BONED there are lots of problems with hips, elbows and ears.
Some really dodgy temperaments too and a ridiculous price tag.
Some people are delighted with their dogs, equally some others have stupendous vet bills and have had to go to court because these people become extremely defensive and aggressive when a buyer ain't happy.
 

AShetlandBitMeOnce

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I know there are plenty of glossy websites out there but the easiest thing to do is just....ask someone experienced.
There's a person in my breed who has an amazing website, talks the talk and their 'registration' certificates for a club that doesn't exist are snazzier than anything I've ever seen a kennel club put out. Laminated too.
But they operate from two addresses in different countries, the dogs aren't registered, no health tests, 'the microchip company has gone bust', they give out paperwork for dogs that have nothing to do with them (I tracked one down to Sweden!) and because they are HUGE and BIG BONED there are lots of problems with hips, elbows and ears.
Some really dodgy temperaments too and a ridiculous price tag.
Some people are delighted with their dogs, equally some others have stupendous vet bills and have had to go to court because these people become extremely defensive and aggressive when a buyer ain't happy.

I am not defending these people at all but who do you trust? There is so much conflicting advice as there always is with animals. Eg: my previous post where the trainer had appeared to fix the aggressive dog. I would have trusted him, he talked a lot of sense. But what he had done was create a far more dangerous dog which someone wouldn't have seen until it was too late, I didn't even spot it and whilst not an expert I have been around dogs my entire life and do what I can to research body language etc. I don't think many on here would have either. Even if you do research, sometimes you can't do wrong for doing right.

A breeder I know personally cares for their dogs brilliantly, loves them, does all the right things in terms of health tests and registering.. but her main USP is that the dogs she breeds are the size of a £20 note fully grown. Now to me that is a seriously steer clear, as they aren't supposed to be that small, will have problems and have legs like match sticks which will snap with the smallest of falls.. but someone new to dog buying, who has done their due diligence, would still be sucked in... Or if you buy the progeny of the best of breed English Bulldog from this years crufts?! You are literally buying from the best bulldog in England there, but it's a complete mess!
 

CorvusCorax

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I am not defending these people at all but who do you trust? There is so much conflicting advice as there always is with animals. Eg: my previous post where the trainer had appeared to fix the aggressive dog. I would have trusted him, he talked a lot of sense. But what he had done was create a far more dangerous dog which someone wouldn't have seen until it was too late, I didn't even spot it and whilst not an expert I have been around dogs my entire life and do what I can to research body language etc. I don't think many on here would have either. Even if you do research, sometimes you can't do wrong for doing right.

A breeder I know personally cares for their dogs brilliantly, loves them, does all the right things in terms of health tests and registering.. but her main USP is that the dogs she breeds are the size of a £20 note fully grown. Now to me that is a seriously steer clear, as they aren't supposed to be that small, will have problems and have legs like match sticks which will snap with the smallest of falls.. but someone new to dog buying, who has done their due diligence, would still be sucked in... Or if you buy the progeny of the best of breed English Bulldog from this years crufts?! You are literally buying from the best bulldog in England there, but it's a complete mess!

I literally said it...ask. Myself and a few others have managed to stop unwitting buyers putting deposits down with these people. Obviously it's easier with a recognised breed and some form of record keeping and papertrail, but I am sure there are cockapoo clubs.
 

AShetlandBitMeOnce

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I literally said it...ask. Myself and a few others have managed to stop unwitting buyers putting deposits down with these people. Obviously it's easier with a recognised breed and some form of record keeping and papertrail, but I am sure there are cockapoo clubs.

But that's the point, the BoB English Bulldog is a wreck - it obviously has the support of it's beed club to be at that high of a level. How do I know who's advice to trust, someone who has always had cockerpoos for years and says they're lovely, low maintenance dogs, or you who has never had one and wouldn't as they're high grooming requirement anxious and high energy dogs generally. You're looking at the situation with the privilege of knowing the answers, or having a vague idea - it's an easy process to know who to trust if you know the answers you're looking for.

ETA: generalised 'you'.
 

CorvusCorax

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But that's the point, the BoB English Bulldog is a wreck - it obviously has the support of it's beed club to be at that high of a level. How do I know who's advice to trust, someone who has always had cockerpoos for years and says they're lovely, low maintenance dogs, or you who has never had one and wouldn't as they're high grooming requirement anxious and high energy dogs generally. You're looking at the situation with the privilege of knowing the answers, or having a vague idea - it's an easy process to know who to trust if you know the answers you're looking for.

ETA: generalised 'you'.

Well to that I would say that is just one dog at one show and the decision of one judge on one day. Crufts is just a big all-breed dog show that happens to be on TV and it does not follow that it is a place where you will see the best of the best of any breed, IMO and I think most people in most breeds would agree. It would be helpful if breeds had **enforced** working (where appropriate) and health requirements as a pre-requisite for registration, breeding and showing and then people would be better placed to make choices.
To the second question, that's all about preferences and lines. I would **never** have recommended the litter my female is from to someone who wanted a low maintenance, low energy pet. I get a lot of requests for recommendations and often I have to recommend something I personally wouldn't have, but that's what the person asking wants.
 

planete

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Many people remember the dogs they had or knew in childhood, very often from a litter bred by friends or neighbours, and do not realise what a cut-throat business puppy breeding has become, especially if they are not after a pedigree dog and have only ever known pet dogs. They will not be aware of what they do not know and consequently will have no reason to do research when they believe the ads they see represent the same good faith pet litters they used to know. It does not mean they are particularly stupid, just naive. And why would they Google 'how to buy a puppy' when it looks as if all they have to do is go and buy one? We are talking about people who have no interest in the showing or working dog worlds. To them a dog is just a dog and if it has all the relevant parts and behaves like a dog, then it will do. The onus should really be on the breeders and the regulations which are lacking in this country.
 

AShetlandBitMeOnce

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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...attack-Mother-raises-2-000-funeral-costs.html

I can't find the original thread for this case but more details have been released (please excuse the source).. it was apparently an entire, adult, XL Bully (take that with a pinch of salt, the DM wouldn't know the ar*e from the nose of a dog) who has already had three different homes and was called 'Beast' so you can easily guess how it was raised. The grandfather of the child had bought it intending to churn puppies out of it. I'm glad they chose such a well trained and balanced dog, they clearly did their research(!) They have funded the little girls funeral using GoFundMe, which I won't express an opinion on.

Yet another numpty wanting a status dog with no idea what to do with one. They have also referred to it interestingly as a 'tragic accident' which aren't the words I would have chosen. It seems crass to be pulling apart the family when they have suffered such a loss, but this was a predictable situation with an outcome obvious to anyone with dog experience. Where does it end?!
 

hairycob

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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...attack-Mother-raises-2-000-funeral-costs.html

They have funded the little girls funeral using GoFundMe, which I won't express an opinion on.

From Gov.Co.UK:
The Children’s Funeral Fund for England can help to pay for some of the costs of a funeral for a child under 18 or a baby stillborn after the 24th week of pregnancy.
It is not means-tested: what you earn or how much you have in savings will not affect what you get.
The burial or cremation must take place in England.
What the fund covers
The Children’s Funeral Fund for England can help pay for the:
  • burial fees
  • cremation fees, including the cost of a doctor’s certificate
  • coffin, shroud or casket (up to a cost of £300)

And undertakers usually provide childrens funerals at cost or subsidised rate.
 

[153312]

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I literally said it...ask. Myself and a few others have managed to stop unwitting buyers putting deposits down with these people. Obviously it's easier with a recognised breed and some form of record keeping and papertrail, but I am sure there are cockapoo clubs.

You don't even need a club. A facebook group for the breed would do to ask in. I have done so in order to do some digging on dodgy chinchilla 'breeders', because becoming an 'NCS certified' breeder is a simple matter of paying a fee to have your name on their website.
 

AShetlandBitMeOnce

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It was wasn't it? This one no name has been given yet, just that it was a brown American bully

It said in the article I read it’s name was Beast. But I will caveat that by saying that the article was from the Daily Mail.


So they basically are responsible for the death of their child and are now lapping up the publicity and money for said killing?
Just when you think the human race is at its lowest.

This is what I wanted to say but couldn’t take the backlash I thought would come today as I’m not on top form. I agree with you, it’s a disgrace.

what’s more of a disgrace is the Tik Tok trend emerging where people are using a filter that you point at your face and then it flicks through breeds and randomly chooses one. Then they snap to them with a puppy of this breed… stop the world I want to get off.
 
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