42 New Stour & Avon, December 31, 2021
Pets
A message from Waggy Tails Rescue Ralph is a five-year-old pug who loves everyone. He has a typical pug nature – he can be stubborn but he is full of character. He will make a super companion. Ralph is good with children but gets overexcited if they are noisy around him, so probably best not to live with them. He could live with a calm dog but no cats please. Ralph has had surgery whilst he has been with us to help his breathing which was very bad, so he cannot be exercised too much and needs a calm home. Waggy Tails Rescue are in need of more foster homes. If you are at home most of the time, have a secure garden and are experienced with dogs then please give us
n Ralph
a ring and discuss fostering for us. It is a very rewarding experience and enables us to continue helping these dogs. (no children under 10 in the house please).
Our 2022 calendar is now on sale – available from our office, shop, or by post. Please contact the office for further details. Waggy Tails Rescue is a
registered charity based in Dorset. We rescue and rehome dogs that have been abandoned, neglected or otherwise in need of a new home. We also find homes for other small furries that may be in our care. If you are able to offer Ralph or any of his lovely friends a forever home or a foster home, please contact our office on 01202 875000, email: admin@waggytails. org.uk, or visit our website waggytails.org.uk. Donations or letters can be sent to: Waggy Tails Rescue Helen’s House 143 Magna Road Wimborne BH21 3AW Thank you!
Spotting those unscrupulous online dealers by Lorraine Gibson If you’re thinking about getting a dog, animal charities would be incredibly grateful if you’d consider rehoming one of theirs. They have lovely dogs in need of good homes and would give you all the support and information you’d need to be a successful and happy dogowner. However, if you are aiming to buy a puppy, please be aware that a shocking 87 per cent of puppy-trade calls to the RSPCA are about animals bought over the internet. To avoid being fooled by unprincipled sellers who use the internet to their advantage to advertise and sell farmed puppies, take heed of this advice from the RSPCA on how to spot their ads. Read adverts carefully and
look out for these tell-tale signs that something may be amiss: l Same contact number on more than one advert – try Googling the number. Has it been used on other puppy adverts? l Descriptions may have been copied and pasted and used on more than one ad – Google the text and see if it’s been used before, word-for-
word l Words like ‘miniature’ and ‘teacup’ can be a sign of dealers who are capitalising on cute, popular terms l Photos of the puppies may have been used on other adverts – right click on the photo, select ‘search Google for image’ and see if it’s been used on other ads l ‘Vaccinated early’ – if the advert says a puppy’s
vaccinated, check how old he or she is. A puppy cannot be vaccinated before they’re four to six-weeks old. If someone’s advertising a three-week-old vaccinated puppy, they’re lying. l Pet passport? – If the puppy is advertised as having a passport, it has most probably been imported. l Are they really Kennel Club registered? Ask for original documents and check with the Kennel Club before committing to buy. l Promises of ‘free insurance’ and ‘puppy packs’ don’t always mean the advert is from a legitimate breeder. If you see a suspicious advert, report it to the RSPCA who will investigate: 0300 1234 999. For more information, see their Puppy Trade Campaign online at rspca.org.uk.
