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If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

The doghouse

Pets4Homes puppy farm dogs

31 replies

user1474370788 · 20/09/2016 12:31

Yes they most certainly do. Read this article in today's mirror and never go to Pets4Homes again. www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/1900-dogs-sold-many-sick-8871834

Pets4Homes puppy farm dogs

OP posts:

Report

Soubriquet · 20/09/2016 12:36

I don't get in this day and age how people still buy them

I think it's because they think they are saving them I suppose

You just always see mum with the puppies wherever she is

SuburbanRhonda · 20/09/2016 12:44

What a sad case. So pleased the RSPCA investigation led to them being charged, especially as the RSPCA regularly gets a roasting on here.

FATEdestiny · 20/09/2016 12:52

I can't click the link but would like to make the point that a puppy buyer who has educated themselves on puppy buying could use P4H to buy.

The problem, I believe, comes down to the increased cost to buy a cross breed. In my view of you are not interested in getting a KC Reg puppy - then but from a rescue centre.

IMV KC reg would be the very first thing to insist on when buying privately, given that KC place very basic level safeguards in place for breeding. There would be more to buying than just KC Reg, but it should be a necessary start point.

tabulahrasa · 20/09/2016 13:39

Pets4homes is just an advertising website, it doesn't actually farm puppies, no more than gumtree does or any other advertising site...of course both websites are full of dodgy breeders and puppy farmers, but they're not actually breeding them themselves.

phillipp · 20/09/2016 14:19

I am with Tab. I am not the most informed person so perhaps I am wrong.

But I don't understand how this is pets 4 homes fault. It's an advertising site. Yes it's used by dodgy people but so is free ads, gumtree etc.

Personally I don't rate KC very much either. They have basic rules, but ones that are easy to get around. Many years ago I got a KC pup, turned out that was a farm as well. Similar set up to the story here.

I am not sure what the answer is, but I am not sure the blames lies with an advertising website.

TrionicLettuce · 20/09/2016 14:59

Pets4Homes is just an advertising site and the KC is just a registry, neither have any control over the way dogs are bred. How much control over the way dogs are bred the KC should have is another argument altogether.

Puppy farms are getting cleverer in how they con people into buying their puppies but not so clever they can't be avoided if the buyer is prepared to put in some effort and do their research.

Unfortunately I think there's a real issue with people either not bothering to do any research at all or they do but go ahead anyway despite warning signs.

Bubble2bubble · 20/09/2016 17:26

It really can't be said often enough: Don't buy a puppy off a free advertising website Just don't. Proper breeders don't need to use these websites, so don't kid yourself.

Whenwillitrain · 20/09/2016 17:31

My dog was bought via an ad on pets 4 homes. I saw both parents who lived with a couple in a house. They have a litter once a year. So no, not a puppy farm. Just an advert.

phillipp · 20/09/2016 17:34

As I said, I am not clued up on pets 4 homes. I assumed the breeder paid for their adverts and that's how they made money.

But I agree with the advice. Don't buy an animal off a free to advertise website.

I think a lot of people think it's the equivalent of adtrader. Educating people buying a puppy really needs working on.

phillipp · 20/09/2016 17:36

Sorry, I still stand by my view that pets 4 homes aren't puppy farmers though, at this point.

Bubble2bubble · 20/09/2016 17:49

Whenwillitrain They told you they have one litter a year.....that alone would send me running for the hills.

Wannabe · 20/09/2016 18:05

Nowhere does it say that pets4homes were responsible here just that the puppies were advertised there. There are very clear guidelines on buying puppies on the pets4homes website wrt ensuring that you see the parents and conditions etc, and while I wouldn't personally buy a puppy advertised there I do know people who have and who haven't had negative experiences.

TBH though, while these women were absolutely responsible for the conditions they kept their dogs in, surely the people who bought these puppies have to take some responsibility as well? If you turn up to pick up a puppy and see it in those kinds of conditions you surely don't walk away with it. Or if you're offered the opportunity to collect your puppy from the services on the m4 or the like then you don't go there.

Puppy farming absolutely has to be outlawed but the people buying puppies in these conditions are a huge part of the problem as they're prepared to pay £££ for puppies bred in awful conditions and are fuelling a supply chain with their demand.

Personally I believe that breeding animals for profit should be made illegal, you would shut down the puppy farm trade in one swift move if you did that.

TrionicLettuce · 20/09/2016 18:10

Having both parents at home is a bit of a red flag as well. It's not always a bad thing but often it's a case of someone just using the closest entire male to hand rather than finding the best match for their bitch.

Whenwillitrain · 20/09/2016 18:28

My dog is a giant breed. I've kept in touch with the breeders. They have had a litter once a year since I bought my dog.

Soubriquet · 20/09/2016 18:31

Once a year is fine imo

Gives the bitch a chance to have a season between each litter

Whenwillitrain · 20/09/2016 18:32

Just checked pets 4 homes. There are no puppies of my breed for sale in the country at present.

Soubriquet · 20/09/2016 18:32

What breed have you got?

Irish wolfhound?

Whenwillitrain · 20/09/2016 19:45

Pyrenean mountain

phillipp · 20/09/2016 20:10

I am wondering if the Op has got pets4homes mixed up with dogs 4 us. It's says pets4homes in the article, but perhaps she has mixed the two up.

Dogs 4 us is a puppy store (not sure of the technical name for it) where you can walk in and pick one up a puppy there and then. They have can have up to 12 breeds available at anytime.

They have been accused of buying puppies direct from puppy farms and selling them on.

Puppies are kept in a room about 10feet by 4 feet with a window to look in and on display all day. Non are with their mother.

Soubriquet · 20/09/2016 20:22

Pyrenean mountain dogs are beautiful

Hope you love your baby. Not common dogs so I'm not surprised you can't find them for sale a lot

Whenwillitrain · 20/09/2016 20:23

He's a great dog! A very big personality.

everythingis · 20/09/2016 20:37

I bought my now grown up puppy from an ad on pets4hes. Or rather I phoned the number and was invited to view the puppies at home with mum. I also saw dad. I viewed the puppies several times all in the same location before we committed to our dog. He was bred on a working farm - as in a farm with cows and fish, randomly, orphan lambs and about one million kittens - but not a puppy farm. The farmers (of the agrarian kind) had two breeding bitches both of which have now been retired. The one who isn't the mother of my dog has her litter between my visits and I saw her feeding her just shy of newborn puppies under the dining table. They looked like hamsters! (Not cockers which they were). Mn scares me all the time. It I'm confident my dog was bred where I got him from and nothing awful was going on.

I think pets4homes and gumtree etc could publish a crib sheet about spotting puppy farms though

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Hoppinggreen · 20/09/2016 21:19

I bought my puppy from pets4homes.
Saw the pups with Mum in a domestic setting, visited a few times, was asked loads of questions, did everything suggested.
Turns out he came from a puppy farm in Wales.
The puppy farmers are getting much smarter now, it's not easy to tell.

FATEdestiny · 20/09/2016 21:26

I bought by puppy (also a cocker spaniel) from Pets4Homes too. I agree there is nothing inherently wrong with the site. But you have to know what you're doing, like you did everythingis

I visited two litters that felt all wrong and I suspect puppy farm for a variety of reasons. The key point was that I was capable of spotting those signs and walking away.

Some just go "aww cute ickle puppies" and are blinded to the rest.

everythingis · 20/09/2016 21:30

I bought my now grown up puppy from an ad on pets4hes. Or rather I phoned the number and was invited to view the puppies at home with mum. I also saw dad. I viewed the puppies several times all in the same location before we committed to our dog. He was bred on a working farm - as in a farm with cows and fish, randomly, orphan lambs and about one million kittens - but not a puppy farm. The farmers (of the agrarian kind) had two breeding bitches both of which have now been retired. The one who isn't the mother of my dog has her litter between my visits and I saw her feeding her just shy of newborn puppies under the dining table. They looked like hamsters! (Not cockers which they were). Mn scares me all the time. It I'm confident my dog was bred where I got him from and nothing awful was going on.

I think pets4homes and gumtree etc could publish a crib sheet about spotting puppy farms though

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