Plymouth animal charity warns against growing social media pet trade

A growing trade in animals on social media is fuelling a worrying rise in the number of dogs being passed from home to home before being rescued by a Plymouth charity.

Woodside Animal Welfare Sanctuary is taking in an increasing number of animals, particularly dogs, who have been sold on social media and online selling sites to buyers who have no clear idea what they are taking.

Some of these dogs are being rehomed multiple times and, in some cases, moved around the country, causing them unnecessary distress, before they are rescued by the sanctuary at Elfordleigh.

Sanctuary manager Helen LeCointe said: “People buy a dog through online selling sites, it doesn’t suit them and back online the dog goes to be sold again. It wouldn’t surprise me if some dogs have had as many as 10 homes.

“People buy them on impulse off sites like Gumtree. There is no back-up if there are any problems. A dog might be described as ‘good with children’ when it actually isn’t. The dog could have health problems, which you won’t find out about until later, or might be aggressive.

“For the animal it is really unsettling and they can end up being dysfunctional as they are passed from one home with one set of rules and another home with another set of rules.”

Halen is also concerned about some animals being traded for profit, and even dog fighting.

“You are leaving yourself open to people who might be buying a dog simply to try and make a profit, we have even heard of dogs being used for dog fighting,” she said.

Among the dogs rescued by Woodside is Clyde the St Bernard who, at just 10 months old, has already had three homes, two of which were found through internet selling sites such as Gumtree and Preloved. The charity has also been caring for a Staffordshire Terrier puppy sold in this way.

Assistant manager Dawn Cornish said: “Very often dogs sold on these sites end up here. Both the staff pup and St Bernard were bought on an internet selling site. We are grateful that these owners contacted us for help, rather than putting the dogs back online.

“By bringing them to us, we can find them the correct home and stop them going back and forth to different homes.”

If potential owners insist on buying pets through social media and online sites, Dawn urged them to first look into the animal’s history and breed type.

“If you are going to buy through these sites, you need to look at the history of the dog and how long it’s been in its current home, and also into the breed of the dog,” she said, “otherwise you might not be getting what you think.”

For more information, please call Woodside on 01752 337552, visit www.woodsidesanctuary.org.uk or find the charity on Facebook.