Amid a spate of reports about disreputable pet stores, experts have advised interested buyers to do their own examination, and demand proper procedures to preserve their rights and the health of their pet.
The issue made headlines at the end of last year when a pet store in New Taipei City’s Banciao District (板橋) came under fire for selling dogs that died days after purchase.
At least 12 customers filed police complaints after the store, Meng Meng Ta (萌萌噠), refused to provide compensation.
Photo courtesy of New Taipei City Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office
Police at the time transferred a 36-year-old surnamed Juan (阮) to prosecutors on suspicion of fraud, while the New Taipei City Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office revoked the store’s license.
However, residents have noticed that a pet store with a different name is now operating in the same location.
Office Director Yang Shu-fang (楊淑方) last week confirmed that Meng Meng Ta’s license was revoked, adding that there is no way to be certain whether the new store is related.
Some pet stores purchase animals from illegal breeders where sanitation is poor and diseases such as canine parvovirus abound.
Canine parvovirus is usually fatal if untreated and has a three to 10-day incubation period, meaning that many new owners do not discover their pet’s condition until after bringing them home.
Although the Council of Agriculture provides a sample contract that allows customers seven to 15 days to seek compensation, some stores use their own contracts with less favorable terms.
Meng Meng Ta’s contract placed all responsibility for the pet on customers after only three days.
New Taipei City Councilor Tai Wei-shan (戴瑋姍) said that there are still no leads on which pet farm supplied Meng Meng Ta, but it is likely that the farm is in a mountainous area in central Taiwan.
So far this year, New Taipei City has received about 20 complaints of dogs purchased with canine parvovirus from four different stores, Yang said, adding that they have been inspected and fined.
The new store in Meng Meng Ta’s location has been fined NT$40,000 for selling dogs from unknown sources, she added.
One pet store operator recommended that interested buyers inspect their potential pet before purchase.
This involves checking whether their eyes or ears have any unusual secretions, the cleanliness of their anus and whether they can drink water on their own, the operator said on condition of anonymity.
Buyers should also insist that the store vaccinate and deworm the animal before buying, they added.
The office also published its own four-step guide for interested pet owners.
People should check the animal’s condition, then request a veterinarian certificate, ask for its vaccination and deworming status, and use the contract provided by the city on its Web site or another government-provided contract, it said.
Banciao Precinct Investigative Division chief Tseng Po-chung (曾柏仲) said that consumers have the right to request a reasonable guarantee from a vendor to help resolve potential disputes.
Additional reporting by Chueh Ching-lun and Chen Hsin-yu
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