Four puppies die after raid on Airbnb uncovers vile trade in seriously ill dogs

The Daily Star’s FREE newsletter is spectacular! Sign up today for the best stories straight to your inbox

The Scottish SPCA and Airbnb have joined forces to tackle the low-welfare puppy trade.

This comes as the special investigations unit seized eight puppies from a property listed on Airbnb, Glasgow Live reports.

The owner had unknowingly rented their premises to unscrupulous dealers.

Sadly, four of the seized puppies have passed away due to a number of health issues such as parvovirus. Diseases such as this are rife among badly bred pups due to the cramped and unsanitary environment they are raised in.

Often the mum is too weak from overbreeding to provide a pup with essential nutrients or the puppy is taken prematurely.

Lockdown has led to a huge rise in the demand for puppies, resulting in profiteering breeders. Unfortunately, this has led to bad breeders taking advantage of the situation and putting profit over the welfare of the dogs they are selling.

Low-welfare breeders adopt many different tactics to fool buyers into parting with money. They use excuses to drop the puppy to a buyer, often blaming the pandemic or that someone in their house is shielding.

And now, using rental properties such as Airbnb listings to sell multiple puppies. Once the transactions are completed, the sellers move on and are very difficult to trace.

The Scottish SPCA special investigations unit has been aware of dealers using rental accommodation for nefarious reasons but this is the first time they have raided an address. Police Scotland assisted with the raid.

• 

  Terrified woman finds huge tarantula in garden – and fears it will 'eat her dogs'

A special investigations unit inspector, who cannot be named due to undercover work, said: “We became aware of a number of properties booked on Airbnb being used by unscrupulous dealers to sell pups at a high cost. Sadly, the puppies became seriously ill or passed away.

“With the help of Police Scotland, we entered the address where we discovered eight puppies of varying breeds. We visually assessed the pups and it was clear they were in very poor health.

“They were immediately taken for veterinary attention where it was found they had a range of health issues such as parvovirus, parasitic and bacterial infections and heavy worm burdens. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts to save the lives of the pups, four of the puppies sadly passed away.

“We are urging both the public and short-term rental property owners to be vigilant and report any concerns to our confidential animal helpline. One host on Airbnb discovered faeces and dog waste inside a cupboard after having rented their home out. They were suspicious and rightly contacted us.

“There is a large number of known, connected puppy dealers selling dogs in this way.

“Puppies and their parents are suffering and dying due to this industry. As long as this is happening, we will do what we can to bring down this appalling trade. Public demand remains sky-high and as long as this continues, bad dealers will find any means to operate.

“We are very pleased to have the support of Airbnb who are just as dedicated to tackling this issue as we are.”

Airbnb is an online rental marketplace that revolutionised the short-term holiday letting industry for both renters and property owners. Its headquarters is in San Francisco, California.

Patrick Robinson, Director of Public Policy at Airbnb, said, “We were incredibly saddened to learn about this incident and the fate of the puppies and thank the Scottish SPCA for their vital investigative work.

“We want to ensure justice is served and welcome the opportunity to support the Scottish SPCA on their investigation. The vast majority of Hosts and guests are good neighbours who follow the rules, and we take swift and robust action against anyone who doesn't live up to the standards that communities expect.”

Get latest news headlines delivered free

Want all the latest shocking news and views from all over the world straight into your inbox?

We've got the best royal scoops, crime dramas and breaking stories – all delivered in that Daily Star style you love.

Our great newsletters will give you all you need to know, from hard news to that bit of glamour you need every day. They'll drop straight into your inbox and you can unsubscribe whenever you like.

You can sign up here – you won't regret it…

The SIU at the Scottish SPCA spearhead Operation Delphin, a multi-agency taskforce designed to bring illegal puppy traders to justice. It is supported by Dumfries & Galloway Council, ISPCA, RSPCA, USPCA, DSPCA, Stena Line, Police Scotland and others.

Disrupting the multimillion-pound industry is one of the Society’s main priorities, and its #SayNoToPuppyDealers campaign has received widespread public and cross-party political support.

Anyone with potential concerns about a property they believe to be listed on Airbnb can report this through the company’s Neighbour Support Line. Neighbours can visit the Airbnb website to request a call from a specialised support agent, who will aim to give them a call back in 10 minutes or less.

Airbnb is committed to animal welfare and was the first major booking platform to bring in industry-leading, progressive animal welfare policies, created in partnership with World Animal Protection.

Any concerns over the low-welfare puppy trade should be reported to the Scottish SPCA confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.

• Dogs

Source: Read Full Article