The need-to-know facts about buying a dog

A rescue puppy, found in the boot of a car in Scotland, is now the happy pet of the McLaughlin family in Malahide.

Edward landed on his paws with the Malahide family when he was taken in by the family who were looking for a rescue dog at the time.

"My Children had been asking for a family dog for some time and my wife and I came around to the idea after setting down some ground rules on taking care of the new pet.

"My preference was for a rescue dog/puppy but rescue dogs don’t tend to be puppies. I saw the a post on twitter about the puppies found in a car boot in Scotland.

"I called the ISPCA immediately and after meeting their criteria for adoption, we met Edward. He has been a gift to our house.

"He welcomes each and every one of us on return to the house with more enthusiasm than you can imagine. And I’m looking forward to adopting a companion rescue puppy to keep each other company and further enrich our lives."  Thank you ISPCA! "

Getting a rescue puppy is a very rewarding experience however if you do decide to buy a puppy online, here are a few things to check to ensure your puppy is coming from a safe and well-cared for home.

First thing to do is to check www.ipaag.ie, this is a website that complies with IPAAG minimum standards as well as having lots of tips and advice.

Next visit the animal and watch it interact with its mother, it is important that the facilities are clean and the litter appears alert and healthy.

Make sure the puppy is old enough to leave its mum (8 weeks) and also ensure to get a copy of its medical records including vaccination certificate and records of worming and flea treatment.

It is also now a legal requirement for all dogs to be microchipped and registered with an approved database by the time they are 12-weeks-old.

Finally remember that a dog is for life, so make sure you are prepared to look after the animal for the rest of its life.

via BreakingNews.ie