1142 days ago

Charity urges people to buy mixed breed dogs to curb pedigree puppy thefts

Caryn Wilkinson Reporter from Community News

Animal rights group SAFE is appealing to dog lovers to buy mixed breeds from shelters to deter pedigree puppy thefts.

The plea follows an apparent spike in valuable purebred dogs being stolen around the country.

Chief executive officer Debra Ashton said SAFE had seen a rise in the number of stolen pedigree pooches reported on social media.

“It's cruelty in the highest degree both for the animals and for the families that are having their dogs stolen.

“This is completely unacceptable and the community together needs to fight against it.”

Ashton recommends people go to animal charities which are “screaming out” for good loving homes instead of buying expensive pedigrees from “puppy mills”.

This could help to “nip the theft business in the bud” by reducing demand, she said.

Ashton urged people to be aware of animals being stolen for dog fighting to speak out, and to question new pet owners about where they got their pedigrees.

The price of puppies is believed to be skyrocketing due to more demand after the Covid-19 lockdown.

“I’ve heard figures of around $4000 to $8000 which is phenomenal for purchasing a dog,” Ashton said.

Cavoodle puppies – a hybrid of a cavalier king charles spaniel and a poodle – are selling on Trade Me for $6000, golden retriever puppies for $4000 and Dobermans for $3000 a pup.

Trade Me has seen 28,000 searches for puppies in the last week - a 34 per cent jump on the same time last year.

Would you prefer to buy a pedigree pooch or a mixed breed puppy?

Why?

*Please put NFP if you do not want your comments used by Stuff.

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Discover why emotion is our driving force. Experience the thrilling performance, stunning design and amazing value of CUPRA. Book a test drive now. Find out more

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Staying home over the break?

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The long weekend is the perfect time to make your place safer for an earthquake with these steps:

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Bob Francis Wins Senior New Zealander Of The Year

Miriam Corban Retirement Village

Seven-term Mayor of Masterton, Bob Francis CNZM QSO MBE JP, has been named the 2024 Ryman Healthcare Senior New Zealander of the Year Te Mātāpuputu o te Tau.

Affectionately dubbed ‘Mr Wairarapa’, Bob has served his community in multiple areas, including health services, commercial development, the arts, aviation, homelessness, conservation and sports.

Bob’s award signifies the sixth time Ryman Healthcare has supported this category of the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards, which provides a fantastic opportunity to celebrate Kiwi seniors who continue to make positive contributions towards the future of Aotearoa.

Click read more for the full article.

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