Two puppies rescued from a cardboard box dumped in a lay-by on one of the hottest days of the year have died.
The spaniels were found by a cyclist in Essex on Saturday – when temperatures reached 30C – along with a third puppy that was already dead.
The RSPCA said the dogs could have been imported from abroad to sell and were abandoned when they became unwell. The charity said they were microchipped with a Hungarian chip which isn’t registered in the UK, suggesting they were victims of the ‘cruel puppy trade’.
Samantha Garvey, the RSPCA’s chief inspector for Essex, said the animals were killed by suspected parvovirus – a highly contagious disease that causes severe vomiting, diarrhoea and dehydration.
The cyclist who found the puppies, thought to be about eight weeks old, said he spotted them when one ‘peeked’ out of the box.
Ms Garvey called the case ‘horrific’, adding it was ‘possible’ the animals were from a puppy farm.
‘We see it a lot. Dogs are brought across because they are cheaper to source and import for sale from Europe than they are in the UK,’ she said.
‘It’s a problem of supply and demand. A lot of people are off work [because of the coronavirus pandemic] and think it’s the perfect time to get a puppy.
‘I would just ask that people really do their research and not agree to buy any animals who they have reason to believe are sick.’
Anyone with information about how the spaniels came to be dumped by the side of the road is asked to contact the RSPCA.
Earlier this year Dog’s Trust launched a campaign to raise awareness about ‘dogfishing’ scams.
This describes the horrific reality behind online puppy ads, with ‘healthy’ dogs often found malnourished, thirsty or kept in tiny cages away from their mum before being sold.
The charity said thousands of people are being duped into buying illegal animals online without realising the conditions they are kept in.
Dogs Trust say there are a number of signs that all might not be what it seems and issued the following advice:
The Don’t Be Dogfished campaign is asking potential new owners to take the following steps:
- Always see puppy and mum together at their home and make sure to visit more than once.
- Ask lots of questions and make sure you see all vital paperwork, such as a puppy contract – which gives lots of information about their parents, breed, health, diet, the puppy’s experiences and more.
- If you have any doubts or feel pressured to buy, as hard as it may be, walk away and report the seller to your local authority trading standards.
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