When a man calling himself “Rex” handed Nevinka Curtain’s daughter a tiny rag doll kitten from the back of his four-wheel drive in South Melbourne, Ms Curtain thought they had finally found the perfect feline for their family. | epearson_3
When a man calling himself “Rex” handed Nevinka Curtain’s daughter a tiny rag doll kitten from the back of his four-wheel drive in South Melbourne, Ms Curtain thought they had finally found the perfect feline for their family.
“We believed everything he said, but as soon as we told our vet we’d bought Howie off Gumtree, their hearts sank,” Ms Curtain said. While she welcomed the rise in adoptions from rescue groups, Ms Talevski was particularly concerned at a recent increase in the number of puppies and kittens aged under one being dumped at shelters, many arriving with health and behavioural issues. She said it was believed many of these animals had been found online and bought from illegal breeders.“Some have never seen daylight.
“High demand for pets during the pandemic meant many Victorians sought alternate sales channels and unknowingly purchased animals from illegal businesses that sell animals from public places to hide the location of their operations,” he said.shows a 25 per cent increase in tip-offs about illegal breeders to its hotline since the start of 2020.
Ms Curtain said her family was still coming to terms with being scammed – paying $2000 cash for what they were told was a healthy, pure-bred kitten – as little Howie recovers at home after numerous vet visits.
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