Every year, there are plenty of animal rescues and veterinarians that urge people not to give pets as Christmas gifts. And every year, people fail to listen and then the ones to suffer are always the innocent animals.
In fact, it wasn’t long after Christmas that numerous people began selling off the dogs they bought as Christmas presents. Gumtree, a free advertising website, was flooded by listing upon listing from desperate owners looking to get rid of their new puppies – some were even being sold for free.
One ad for a cane corso puppy read, “Bully is a puppy we got As a Christmas present we don’t really know if he has got any of his injections done.”
It continued, “He is really friendly and loves cuddles he is good with other dogs as well but we haven’t got the time to look after him because everybody in our household works or goes school and we have already got ourselves a little dog and we wasn’t ready for another.”
Other listings are from those who want to find a new owner for their pups aged six months and under as they “don’t have the energy” to play with the dog or are unable to cope with the “stress.”
Another ad that was later removed, was for a Cavachon puppy. It stated, “I got a Cavachon puppy for Xmas for my kids but my son is allergic to it she s just 12 weeks [old]”.
Another listing for a 10-week-old cockapoo said, “We only have had this gorgeous puppy a short time but sadly we realized it is causing too much stress for our cat, and all-round. This has been a very difficult decision, as he really is so lovely.”
According to MailOnline, Charity Dogs Trust said that in the first week after Christmas, it received 277 calls from owners looking to re-home their dogs.
Charity Dogs Trust is strongly against buying dogs on the internet, as it explains that the ads “don’t always give the full picture”. The charity encourages owners to consult with a rehoming charity instead.
A spokesperson for the charity said, “It’s very easy nowadays to choose a puppy at the click of a button but not all adverts give the full picture and the pups could even have been illegally imported into the country. We would always encourage potential dog owners to do their research first, especially before buying online.”
