Study of vets in England

Lockdown has seen a huge increase in demand for cats, dogs, kittens and puppies that has provided an opportunity for unscrupulous sellers to thrive. 23red is conducting polling on behalf of Defra among vets in England to understand the impact lockdown has had on cat, dog, kitten and puppy welfare. We are keen to hear about your experiences. Please note that 23red is not collecting any personal data and all answers are collected anonymously.

Findings will generate insights for Defra’s ‘Petfished’ campaign. The campaign seeks to promote the importance of researching the seller before getting a puppy, kitten, cat or dog – encouraging people to question ‘Who’s the person behind the pet?’.

Based on your experiences providing veterinary care since and during lockdown, please answer the following questions:

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* 1. Have you had to report a puppy or kitten that you have treated during lockdown that you believe may have been bred in low-welfare conditions?

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* 2. Have you reported any older dogs or cats rehomed by new owners during lockdown that you suspect came from low-welfare conditions?

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* 3. Have you seen an increase in the number of suspected low-welfare bred kitten or puppy deaths during lockdown compared to this time period last year? (23rd March – present)?

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* 4. Have you seen an increase in the number of very sick kittens and puppies that you suspected came from low-welfare conditions during lockdown compared to this time period last year? (23rd March – present)

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* 5. To what extent do you agree with the following statement: “prospective pet owners should research the seller online before buying or rehoming a cat, dog, kitten or puppy.”

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* 6. What region of England are you based?

Thank you for taking part in the survey. If you would like to find out more about the Petfished campaign, please visit getyourpetsafely.campaign.gov.uk

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