samedi 1 janvier 2011

Have you been sold a pup?

You human beans have some very strange expressions, especially in your heenglish language. I heard recently that you use the phrase "to be sold a pup" to mean buying something that's not worth what you thought it was, to be swindled. It seems it comes from an old trick of selling someone a sack supposedly containing a piglet when in fact it contained a puppy.

What set me on my research of these funny expressions was something I read on Twitter, written by a very nice human bean called @hen4 who looks after animals and loves nature, so I like her. She'd seen two men in different cars, parked in a motorway service station, doing a deal over a very small puppy.

What's wrong with that, you may ask? Well let me tell you, mes amis, it is never, ever, a good idea to buy a puppy from someone who offers to meet you anywhere other than the place where the puppy was bred. Before you even think of buying a puppy, you need to visit it at the breeder's, see it with its mother, if possible see the father, and see the conditions in which it was born and raised.

See how it reacts with people, with its siblings, with strange sights and sounds. Find out how much socialisation it has received, whether it has had all the required vaccinations and health checks. See for yourself if the conditions in which it has been raised are clean, safe and suitable.

And if the seller does everything in their power to prevent you from visiting their premises, there is never, ever a good reason. They aren't being kind and considerate by saving you the journey. They're trying to stop you from visiting what is almost certainly a puppy farm. And if you don't know what a puppy farm is and why many human beans and dogs like me are trying to get them banned, then do some simple research and find out about them. There's plenty of information on the internet; here are a couple of sites to start you on your search. http://www.puppylovecampaigns.org/ and http://www.puppywatch.force9.co.uk/

Because if you don't care about animal welfare, and if you don't I shall come round and bite your legs, then consider the financial risks you will be taking. Because puppy farm pups are often not healthy at all. They often don't get vaccinated and may arrive at your home carrying terrible illnesses like parvo virus. And the resulting vets' bills can cost you hundreds and hundreds of pounds. And there's no guarantee your new puppy will survive. So does you car park purchased puppy still sound like a good buy or are you being sold a pup?

And when you've made the decision to get a dog, ask yourself if, rather than buying an expensive puppy, possibly bred on a puppy farm, you couldn't instead give a home to one of the thousands of dogs in shelters and rescue centres everywhere, many of whom are puppies and young dogs.

Thousands of perfectly healthy dogs are destroyed every year in Britain, simply because no homes can be found for them. Those of you familiar with my blog will know I'm a rescue dog, though not from a puppy farm. I'm a nervous dog, so tend to be very suspicious of people, except ma maitresse. But there are lots of dogs in homes who are absolutely 100% kind and gentle and would love a new forever home.

Couldn't your New Year's resolution be to give a good home to just one of them? Wouldn't that be better than being sold a pup?

2 commentaires:

  1. I think that's an excellent idea and should be ready for a new dog soon :-) I shall adopt one that needs a new home.

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  2. Merci, madame, for your comment. You seem very kind, sensible human bean, I think I would like you. I hopes you do soon get new dog and will find one in a refuge somewhere and give to him or her a forever home. Bisous.

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