Vienna, 04 December 2024 – Throughout the year, dogs are given away as ‘cute’ presents. Despite good intentions, many people fail to recognise the responsibilities that come with owning a dog. Beyond the joy and comfort they bring, dogs require regular vet checks, daily walks and consistent care. To prevent pet abandonment by overwhelmed owners, choosing a pet should never be an impulsive decision influenced by cheap prices or cute photos but well thought-through. With the upcoming festive season slowly approaching, global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS warns about impulsive puppy purchases – especially through unverified online ads on social media.

Regular vet checks, daily walks: responsibilities to consider before getting a dog 

With a life expectancy of up to twenty years, dogs are long-term companions and not impulsive ‘cute presents’.

“Can you afford veterinary bills – especially when your dog gets older? Who will take care of your dog when you go on a long vacation? Do you have time for multiple walks a day no matter the weather or your busy work schedule? These are just a few of the many questions you need to consider before getting a pet. Even if a dog might fit your current lifestyle, always keep in mind how your lifestyle could change in five or even ten years and if this would affect routines you have developed with your pet,” says Andrea Weber, Responsible Pet Ownership Coordinator at FOUR PAWS.

A ‘good’ deal? Cheap impulsive dog purchases online put dogs at risk 

FOUR PAWS urges people interested in becoming dog owners to refrain from purchasing dogs on social media, as well as on classified ad sites that do not guarantee the verification of the sellers and the animals. In these cases, where the origin of a dog remains unclear, the necessary vaccinations, health and animal welfare requirements are often severely neglected. In a recent report, FOUR PAWS assessed that a concerning 79% of online dog ads in Europe cannot be traced back to verified or legitimate sources.

Many of these dogs come from gruesome puppy farms that benefit from unethical breeding to achieve ‘trending aesthetics’ such as dogs of unusual colour variations. The repercussions of these features haunt dogs their whole lifetime as they suffer from chronic health issues such as restricted breathing, limited eyesight or skin and joint issues.

In the posts offering dogs on social media, consumers see heartwarming images of puppies playing, sleeping or held in somebody’s hands and are unaware of the cruel reality behind these posts. Most of these offers barely provide any information on the origins of the puppies and often include illicit or cruel practices.

Due to the growing popularity in online dog purchases and to understand the nature of the puppy trade on social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook – both owned by Meta – FOUR PAWS examined dog ads and groups across Europe between 2023 and 2024. “It’s shocking: Though the trade of animals by private persons clearly breaks Meta’s own guidelines, we could see that unverified individuals managed to bypass these policies and even violated country and EU regulations. Though practices like cropped ears are forbidden in countries like France – sellers continue offering them for sale on Facebook and Instagram. Even after reporting, the vast majority of ads are not taken down. Stricter actions are needed from Meta to stop this cruel trade,” says Nick Weston, Head of Companion Animal Campaigns at FOUR PAWS.

Choose adoption: abandoned dogs deserve a second chance

If a person has done their proper research and is ready to become a dog owner, the best choice is to adopt a dog from a reputable local shelter. This gives dogs that have been abandoned a second chance in life to find a loving new home. Unlike unverified online sellers, reputable shelters provide the new dog owners with all necessary information on the dog’s health and behaviour of the dog, giving both the animal and owner time to get to know each other and check if the lifestyle of the potential new owners fit the needs of the dog.