Puppy breeder sends police to dissatisfied buyer Klaas (70)

She was small, had soft fur and fit perfectly in their hands. The new owners of cockapoo Jipp fell in love immediately. Only later did the questions come. Why wasn’t the mother dog with the puppies? Why was the payment in cash? And why were they lied about the health of the puppy’s parents? Eventually the matter escalates to such an extent that the police even come to the new owners’ door.

In retrospect, they seem like obvious red flags. But at the moment itself, emotion dominates. Tens of thousands of puppies are sold in the Netherlands every year, some of which come from the fraudulent trade. Yet many buyers remain silent when it turns out that they have been with the wrong breeder. Out of fear, shame or guilt.

Klaas Eriks (70) does not. He bought a puppy from a dealer in Best that Omroep Brabant talked to several people about and afterwards he didn’t have a good feeling about it. It was the starting signal of years of research. “We paid 2,500 euros for our dog. A high amount, but because we thought we were dealing with a good breeder, it was acceptable to us. I asked for an invoice several times, but it could not be provided. Moreover, the payment had to be made in cash.”

Hundreds of puppies per year
According to Eriks, the breeder worked in a refined manner. “We immediately held the dog in our arms and fell in love immediately.” The advertisement stated that the puppy had grown up in a home environment and that it was an occasional litter. Afterwards, Eriks discovered that the breeder actually sold hundreds of dogs per year.

Puppy Jipp’s start went well, although Eriks immediately noticed a few things. “Our dog smelled really bad when we brought her home,” he says. Yet Jipp turned out to be healthy during a check-up by their own vet. Until a few weeks later Eriks noticed a cracking sound while walking the dog. “X-rays showed that Jipp has poorly developed hips and that she is missing a hip socket. This even though the breeder had said that her parents had been tested radiologically and were fine.”

Lied about mother dog
When Eriks went to the breeder with his findings, he was told that they could bring Jipp back. “Of course you don’t do that, Jipp had been part of our family from day one and it didn’t feel right to bring her back to this breeder.” Eriks also requested photos of Jipp’s mother and father. After weeks of waiting he received it. “It couldn’t be our dog’s mother dog at all. The photos were taken a few weeks before Jipp’s birth, and the so-called mother dog in the X-rays was not pregnant.”

Police at the door
Eriks decided to take action. He reported the breeder to the NVWA, animal welfare organization House of Animals, Marktplaats, the municipality of Best and the police in Best. He came into contact with a group of about eighty other buyers via Facebook. “I also posted my story on Facebook to warn others. I added a photo of the breeder to that story. Then I immediately got the police at the door and I had to place a bar in front of his face.”

Eriks regrets the incident. “This breeder has been able to work undisturbed for years. He places a new litter on Marktplaats several times a month. I understand that privacy is a great asset, but this breeder must be stopped.”

Reporting is not without risk
Animal welfare organization House of Animals sees that buyers are often wrongly dismissed as naive. Founder Karen Soeters has been campaigning against the fraudulent dog trade for years. “There are many prejudices about buyers. But they are not the people who want to sit in the front row for a euro.”

According to Soeters, reporting abuses is not without risk. “A lot of money is being made in this world and when there are negative statements about breeders or traders, this often has consequences. It is therefore very brave when people step forward and report it.”

Dilemma for buyers
Discussions with buyers reveal that many of them had doubts during their visit to a breeder. They saw signals that were wrong, but did not want to leave the puppy in a situation that felt wrong to them. The idea that the dog would be better off with them was the deciding factor. Despite the fact that they maintain trade.

Others turn around. “This cannot be good for the mother dogs,” says an interested party who decided to abandon the purchase.

According to veterinarian Piet Hellemans, involved with Stichting Dierenlot, among others, change starts with the consumer. “If someone really wants a puppy and a purebred dog, it is almost impossible to avoid dog trafficking. This is often fraudulent and sometimes illegal.” His advice: adopt a dog from the shelter instead of buying a puppy.

How is Jipp now?
According to Eriks, Jipp is now an affectionate and sweet dog, although she remains jumpy and anxious. Considering the circumstances, her health is doing reasonably well. While walking, a snapping sound can sometimes be heard and occasionally her hind leg ‘locks’ for a moment. But after some massage she can usually continue, although she sometimes limps when things don’t sit right. If necessary, Eriks will consider surgery in consultation with the vet: “We always choose what is best for Jipp.”

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