Charity urges people to buy mixed breed dogs to curb pedigree puppy thefts
Animal rights group SAFE is appealing to dog lovers to buy mixed breeds from shelters to deter pedigree puppy thefts.
The plea follows an apparent spike in valuable purebred dogs being stolen around the country.
Chief executive officer Debra Ashton said SAFE had seen a rise in the number of stolen pedigree pooches reported on social media.
“It's cruelty in the highest degree both for the animals and for the families that are having their dogs stolen.
“This is completely unacceptable and the community together needs to fight against it.”
Ashton recommends people go to animal charities which are “screaming out” for good loving homes instead of buying expensive pedigrees from “puppy mills”.
This could help to “nip the theft business in the bud” by reducing demand, she said.
Ashton urged people to be aware of animals being stolen for dog fighting to speak out, and to question new pet owners about where they got their pedigrees.
The price of puppies is believed to be skyrocketing due to more demand after the Covid-19 lockdown.
“I’ve heard figures of around $4000 to $8000 which is phenomenal for purchasing a dog,” Ashton said.
Cavoodle puppies – a hybrid of a cavalier king charles spaniel and a poodle – are selling on Trade Me for $6000, golden retriever puppies for $4000 and Dobermans for $3000 a pup.
Trade Me has seen 28,000 searches for puppies in the last week - a 34 per cent jump on the same time last year.
Would you prefer to buy a pedigree pooch or a mixed breed puppy?
Why?
*Please put NFP if you do not want your comments used by Stuff.
Poll: Are quality products on the decline?
Gift-giving looks a lot different these days when you can pick up super-cheap goods made overseas. But do they last?
Do you have any old items like appliances, electronics or clothing that have stood the test of time? Share below!
-
91.5% Yes
-
7.8% No
-
0.8% Other - I'll share below
Only the Sharpest Minds Will Get This Riddle… Are You One of Them?
I twinkle and glow, guiding paths in the snow.
I’m not the sun, moon, or star in the sky,
yet on rooftops and trees, you’ll see me up high.
What am I?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Impersonating tow truck drivers
Police are warning drivers across Tāmaki Makarau to be on the lookout for dodgy tow truck drivers following several incidents in the past few months.
Motorists are being warned of a small group of people pretending to be tow truck drivers, committing crimes by using unregistered tow trucks to pick up vehicles.
Sergeant Suzannah Kimber, Counties Manukau Police, says the group steals vehicles by pretending to legitimately tow them before disposing of the vehicles.
“Recently these offenders towed a member of the public’s vehicle in plain sight.
“Members of the public drove past this tow truck while they were loading it up as it just looked normal.
“They even go as far as wearing high-visibility clothing.”
Sergeant Kimber says Police are taking the opportunity to remind the community that all tow trucks will have external sign writing with the company name and be able to produce their logbook if asked.
“They also must be registered as a transport operator.
“If you see a tow truck without any distinguishing features towing cars, please call Police immediately.”
Loading…
