Document type: scientific article published in Animal Welfare
Authors: C. Dale, Dan G. O’Neill, Claire L. Brand, Zoe Belshaw, Bree L. Merritt, Camilla L. Pegram, Rowena M. A. Packer
Abstract in French (translation): Have you bought a puppy? The impact of purchasing practices, owner and dog demographics, and early-life experiences on the subsequent health of puppies in the United Kingdom
Although it is commonly claimed that puppies from sources with poor animal welfare standards (e.g., “puppy mills”) and/or sold illegally (e.g., without buyers being able to see the puppy’s mother before purchase) have poorer future health and well-being, there is surprisingly little data to support this claim. We investigated the impact of risk factors present early in a puppy’s life, including owner acquisition behaviors, on the health of dogs in adulthood. A longitudinal online survey followed a cohort of n = 985 “pandemic puppies” purchased in the United Kingdom in 2020, aged ≤ 16 weeks, until they were 21 months old. Owners reported health conditions diagnosed in their dogs as well as their expectations regarding actual veterinary costs via a questionnaire on the “puppy period” (when the dogs were ≤ 7 months old) in 2020. Multivariate modeling was used to examine risk factors associated with these outcomes, including early-life health, behavior, and acquisition-related variables. Most owners (n = 931/985; 94.5%) reported at least one health problem in their dog since the 2020 questionnaire. Puppies sold at 6 weeks of age or younger, without the owner having seen the puppy’s mother prior to purchase, or acquired by first-time owners, were more likely to have a higher number of health issues at 21 months of age. One-quarter (n = 220/936; 23.5%) of owners had spent more than expected on veterinary costs since acquiring their puppy, with owners of puppies sold without a microchip being more likely to report this. The results suggest that long-term health outcomes are linked to how and where a puppy is acquired. Given that many of the risk factors identified here are already illegal in England, Wales, and Scotland, stronger enforcement and greater awareness of this legislation are urgently needed to protect the welfare of dogs.
Preview: Despite common assertions that puppies acquired from low-welfare sources (e.g. ‘puppy farms’) and/or sold illegally (e.g. without buyers seeing their puppies’ mother pre-purchase) have poorer future health and welfare, remarkably little evidence supports this. We investigated the impact of puppy early-life risk factors, including owner acquisition behaviours, upon adult dog health outcomes. An online longitudinal survey followed a cohort of n = 985 ‘Pandemic Puppies’ purchased in the UK during 2020 aged ≤ 16 weeks of age as they reached 21 months of age. Owners reported their dogs’ diagnosed health disorders and their expectations vs realities of veterinary costs since a ‘puppyhood’ questionnaire (while ≤ 7 months of age) in 2020. Multivariable modelling investigated risk factors for these outcomes, including early-life health, behaviour, and acquisition-related variables. Most owners (n = 931/985; 94.5%) reported ≥ one health problem in their dog since the 2020 questionnaire. Puppies sold ≤ 6 weeks of age, without their owner having seen the puppy’s mother prior to purchase, or acquired by first-time owners were more likely to have a higher number of health disorders at 21 months old. One-quarter (n = 220/936; 23.5%) of owners had spent more than they expected on veterinary costs since acquiring their puppy, with owners of puppies sold without a microchip more likely to report this. Results suggest that longer-term health outcomes are linked to how and where a puppy is acquired. As many risk factors identified here are already illegal in England, Wales and Scotland, greater enforcement and awareness of this legislation is urgently needed to protect canine welfare.
