Pet insurer Petplan advises on buying puppies

Pet insurance specialist Petplan has issued a guide for pet owners looking to buy a puppy. Finding the right puppy is not only time consuming but also very competitive as puppies with the ‘it’ factor prove rare. As a result, prices have inflated (sometimes running into thousands of pounds) and pet owners are now advised to adopt a few simple rules in order to avoid ‘gazumping’.

Not all breeders commit to the same standards of pet welfare and some entered this very lucrative market motivated by money alone. These ‘dodgy’ breeders will accept a selling price with you only to offer the puppy to someone else should they offer more money. Petplan therefore recommends pet lovers to follow some simple guidelines like only buying from a reputable breeder, keeping in touch with them regularly and always paying for the asking price. Do not try to negotiate it down because, at the end of the day, breeders operate like real businesses and need to earn substantial revenues to survive. Petplan Marketing Manager Simon Wheeler says:

“Buying a new puppy is a major undertaking both financially and emotionally. For many, a new pet is a new member of the family so when the right one is found, an emotional bond is usually formed straight away. Most breeders understand this bond and wouldn’t dream of disappointing a customer, however to help we have provided advice to help avoid gazumping taking place at all.”

The guide also suggests what to do in case of gazumping. For more detailed information, visit Petplan’s website. Petplan is Britain’s no. 1 pet insurer and provides a 10% discount when buying pet insurance online.