03/11/2025
‼️ It may seem very early to be mentioning the C word but this is a sad reality and a very important topic to highlight this time of the year.
Ireland is the puppy farming capital of Europe and this is a multi-million euro industry, with anywhere from 6 to hundreds of bi***es being bred in poor conditions without the appropriate health screening. These breeders make a lot of money selling puppies to the general public. The results of these poor breeding practices are serious health issues, which unfortunately we see regularly in clinical practice. We are now also starting to see the effects of inappropriate cat breeding.
Puppies and kittens are not presents for under the Christmas tree. They require a lot of care and attention and getting a new family member is not a decision to be taken lightly.
We would encourage people to ask themselves if they can give the time required to train, walk, and play with a new puppy. Think through the financial commitment- the cost of feeding, pet insurance, grooming, kennels/cattery fees, routine health care such as microchipping, vaccinations, neutering, and parasite treatment. Unfortunately, accidents do happen and pets can become unwell and may need urgent veterinary treatment such as X-rays, blood tests, hospitalisation, or surgery.
🐾 Are you prepared for both routine and unexpected costs?
🐾 Will the pet fit in with your lifestyle for the foreseeable future?
These are the kinds of important questions to ask yourself before getting a new pet. We would encourage people to think about rescuing as there are so many dogs and cats looking for their forever homes 👀 🏡 🐾
The Petcare team are more than happy to answer any questions and help you make the right decision if you are thinking of getting a new pet. We are always available to give you trusted professional advice and encourage pet owners to create a happy and healthy life with their pet 🐶 🐈⬛ 🐰 🐾
We recommend having a puppy contract in place to help ensure responsible puppy breeding and ownership.
You can read more about this here
http://puppycontract.org.uk/
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