'IT'S A DOG'S LIFE...' | | Puppy farm puppies often suffer with health problems |
To most, they're man's best friend and a life long companion, but for some disreputable traders, puppies are simply a commodity to be cheaply and cruelly farmed and sold. Inside Out East goes undercover to expose one Essex puppy trader who has been the subject of complaints for over 10 years. Puppy loveDogs, like any pet, can be a costly affair. A pedigree dog can cost from £200 upwards, and that's before the vaccinations and vet's bills. But when a family pet becomes ill, it is not simply a monetary cost, it can be an emotional cost too. "We got him on the Saturday, by the Monday he was in the vets," describes Lisa Burton.  | | Many puppies are bought in ill health, some even die |
"We were phoned by the vet to say he's not going to make it... then we got the call to say that he died." Like Lisa, Jan Lewis and Ellen Christopoulous encountered similar problems with their new puppies, but that's not all these women have in common. All three dogs were originally bought as puppies from Loretta Bastin of Dobe Farm Kennels - a puppy trader who over the years has invited an endless stream of complaints. Puppy farmsThe RSPCA believes Ms Bastin receives her dogs from "puppy farms" in Ireland where licenses are not required to breed or sell dogs. RSPCA officer Alastair Keen has recently raided such farms. "We found them living in their excreta and urine... I couldn't enter without feeling physically sick," describes Alastair. Dogs bred in these conditions often suffer with chronic health and behavioural problems and are rarely the pedigrees they are sold to be. "In terms of behaviour... they get off to a very very bad start and it just goes downhill from then on," says Alastair. Still in business | | Steve Lynch from Trading Standards has been involved in Ms Bastin's investigation |
Complaints ranging from fake pedigrees to bogus vaccination certificates drew the attention of both Trading Standards and the RSPCA. "We've been dealing with Ms Bastin for nearly 15 years," explains Steve Lynch of Essex Trading Standards. "We visited her three to four years ago... we've been looking at her closely for a long time," agrees RSPCA officer Alastair Keen. Yet 15 years on, Ms Bastin is still in business. Inside Out East goes undercover to find out why. How much is that doggy?Under the pretence of buying a puppy as a present, our Inside Out undercover team takes a hidden camera into Ms Bastin's portakabin, where three puppies are presented to choose from. Our team are told that the puppies are commercially bred. They claim the puppies are pedigree, but not Kennel Club registered. After selecting a Yorkshire Terrier, the puppy is promptly saturated with flea spray. Our reporter is then handed a bag of adult dog food, six months free insurance with Petplan and a word processed pedigree certificate, without the breeder's address. Check-up timeThe puppy is taken straight to vet David Taylor for a thorough examination which reveals that she is full of fleas. The puppy has blocked eye ducts and may not even be a pure Yorkshire Terrier.  | | Inside Out's puppy has fleas and worms and according to the vet, will be difficult to train |
Like Inside Out, David is sceptical of the word processed pedigree certificate and the vaccination record has no address for the vet who performed them. The full written report reveals an eight inch Toxocara round worm confirming that the puppy was never fully wormed. A phone call to insurers Petplan, reveals the policy to be for breeders only and therefore invalid. A sick puppy without a valid insurance plan can be a great expense as Ellen Christopoulous discovered. "I bought the dog for £275 - the vet's fees came to £1,000 of which I didn't get anything back." Wanting answers to the questions raised by the vet, Inside Out gets back in touch with Ms Bastin who assures us that her breeder in Southern Ireland will be in touch. The breeder fails to get in contact. Landmark case | | Ms Bastin refused to answer any questions posed by Inside Out |
After various investigations, Trading Standards succeeded in taking Ms Bastin to court in July 2004. In a Landmark case, she was banned from selling substandard goods and faces a prison sentence if she breaks her court order, but the courts were powerless to revoke her pet-shop license. "I don't think it goes anywhere near far enough," says Lisa "It seems like she just got a slap on the wrist." Upon leaving court, Ms Bastin declined an interview. Walk away It seems at present that the law is powerless to prevent this cruel trade and responsibility falls solely into the hands of the consumer. "People buy these puppies because they feel sorry for them," explains vet David Taylor. "But that's the worst thing you can do because there'll be more produced to fill the gap. "Walk away," he insisits. Click here for more information about buying a new puppy: what questions to ask, what signs to look for and how to avoid puppy farm traders. | 
