🚨 Have you heard of ‘Petfishing’? Every prospective pet owner needs to be aware of this increasingly common scam in pet trading.🐾
The term ‘Petfishing’ stems from ‘Catfishing’, referring to the practice where sellers post misleading or false information about pets online to attract buyers. In reality, these pets may have health issues or may not even be the breeds advertised.
For example, the seller might post a picture of a healthy puppy of a prestigious breed, claiming it is home bred. However, the truth is that the puppy was raised in an illegal breeding farm with poor conditions. The seller doesn’t have a licence and is enticing you by selling at lower than half of market price. When you receive the puppy you realise it is plagued with diseases, requiring significant medical expenses. In the worst case, the puppy may even die shortly after, which is heartbreaking. This situation not only causes financial losses and emotional trauma to the owner, but may also involve animal welfare issues!
💡 Remember to do your research before acquiring a pet. Please also consider adopting from animal welfare organisations instead of buying, as it could save a precious life. 🐶🐱
To know more about the risks and need-to-knows when purchasing a pet, please visit pets.gov.hk/petfishing
#AFCD #Petfishing #Homebreeding #animalwelfare #responsibility
