PDSA Warns Of Long Term Risk To Pet Welfare As Trend For Lack Of Pre-purchase Research Continues
6 years ago 
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Leading veterinary charity PDSA is warning that the continuing trend of owners doing no pre-purchase research before acquiring a pet is risking the long term health and welfare of millions of animals.
The warning comes as the eighth annual PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report is published. The PAW Report, created in conjunction with YouGov, has surveyed over 68,000 veterinary professionals, pet owners and young people since its launch in 2011. It is the most rigorous and in-depth assessment of the wellbeing of the nation’s pets. This year the charity also teamed up with BVA and BVNA, using findings from their ‘Voice of the Profession’ surveys within the Report.
The 2018 Report has revealed that 5.2 million (around one in four or 24%) UK pet owners undertook no research at all before taking on their pet, showing no improvement since 2016. Similarly, just 5% of owners (one in twenty or 1.1 million) took advice from a veterinary professional ahead of their purchase, despite 71% of practices offering pre-purchase advice* as part of routine consultations.
The Report also shows a correlation between owners feeling uninformed about the 5 Welfare Needs and lack of pre-purchase research.
The charity found that while 74% of owners felt informed about all of the 5 Welfare Needs, with 24% feeling very informed, only 13% of owners were able to correctly identify all five needs from a choice of descriptions. Awareness of the companionship welfare need was by far the lowest, identified by just 18% of owners correctly as ‘to be housed with or apart from other animals’. Many owners (29%) also wrongly believed human companionship was of greater importance to our pets than appropriate interaction their own species.
Owners who didn’t feel informed of all of the 5 Welfare Needs were more likely to do no research (28%) than owners who did (23%). Those who didn’t feel informed were also less likely to see their prospective pet with their parents (only 35% compared to 40% where owners did feel informed about all five needs) and less likely to check that the breeder would complete a contract (9% compared to 13%). This suggests that increasing awareness of the Animal Welfare Acts (just 38% of owners reported being familiar) and the 5 Welfare Needs could potentially have a positive impact on owners making better pre-purchase decisions.
Commenting on the PAW Report findings, PDSA Senior Vet Rebecca Ashman, said: “This year’s PAW Report highlights that impulse-buying of pets, with varying knowledge of their long terms needs, is a continuing trend that is unfortunately showing no signs of improving. Lack of pre-purchase research leaves owners ill-prepared for pet ownership. Sadly this is inadvertently leading to pet’s 5 Welfare Needs not being properly met and by extension is causing an array of welfare issues from behaviour problems and chronic stress to inappropriate housing and obesity for the UK’s dogs, cats and rabbits.”
This year’s PAW Report also found that the two main sources owners cited for pre-purchase research were looking on the internet (27%) or relying on having previous experience of the species or breed (32%).
Rebecca continues: “It is vital that we elevate the importance of pre-purchase research in potential owners’ minds. Most people wouldn’t consider buying new car or booking a holiday without doing extensive research, yet pets are often bought on a whim. With just over a quarter of owners doing their pre-purchase research online, it’s vital that the information available to them is accurate and easily accessible.”
Purchasing pets from inappropriate sources is another major concern that the PAW Report continues to highlight. It found that 3.4 million owners (16%) would consider getting a puppy from a puppy farm and 4.3 million (21%) from a seller who approached them. According to the latest Report, 98% of veterinary professionals agree that online advertising of pets for sale should be regulated, which builds on our findings from 2017 when 91% of owners also agreed with this.
Worryingly, after choosing their pet, the Report shows that 17% of dog owners, 39% of cat owners and 46% of rabbit owners did nothing before bringing their pet home – such as seeing the pet with their parents, visiting them on more than one occasion, undergoing home visits or checking that the breeder would complete a contract e.g. the Puppy Contract.
Rebecca adds: “With so many owners seemingly willing to get a pet from a potentially unsuitable source, it can be difficult for them to know their pets’ true origins and their health care history. Pets from these sources are unfortunately sold with little or no regard for their future welfare and often without screening health checks or accurate advice from the seller.
“The best chance we, as a profession, have of helping people understand where to responsibly source a pet from, the lifetime costs of pet ownership and the 5 Welfare Needs of pets is to engage with prospective owners before they take on their new pet. This way they will be empowered to make informed choices and be equipped with the knowledge to ensure a lifetime of wellbeing for their new pet.”
To download a free copy of the PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report visit: pdsa.org.uk/pawreport
Which Pet?
PDSA’s ‘Which Pet?’ consultation framework, which the charity launched at London Vet Show in November 2016, was created to help veterinary professionals engage and educate clients before they take on a new pet, in hope that prospective pet owners go on to choose a pet that is suitable for their lifestyle and obtained from an appropriate source. The framework covers various topics including lifetime cost of pet ownership, the 5 Welfare Needs of Pets and which species/breed of pet may suit the prospective owner’s lifestyle.
‘Which Pet’ has been endorsed by the British Veterinary Association (BVA).
‘Which Pet?’ materials include both a step-by-step guide to the consultation framework for the vet team and a client booklet, as well as editable marketing materials and an explanatory e-learning CPD module. These can all be accessed free of charge on PDSA’s website at: pdsa.org.uk/whichpet
Prospective owners can also access the charity’s Get PetWise online quiz, which provides a wealth of information to help them match their circumstances with the most suitable pet for their lifestyle at: pdsa.org.uk/getpetwis
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