Don't buy puppies from Liz Carlo Pets JOHANNESBURG – 1 March 2005 – The Pet Food Industry (PFI) Association and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) advises consumers not to purchase puppies from Liz Carlo Pets, because consumers are not receiving pups that they have paid for.

Fraud is a major issue in South African society and it appears to be creeping into the arena of puppy sales. Liz Carlo Pets advertises “Beagle pups for sale”, however once consumers have paid the required money, the puppies are never received.

According to a recent Ad-Alert to ASA Members, the Liz Carlo Pets advertisement contravenes the Advertising Standards Code, and the ASA has advised its members to stop accepting advertising from Liz Carlo Pets.

The PFI recommends that people buy pets only from reputable and registered breeders or visit their local SPCA.

“There are also, for example, several ‘puppy farmers' out there who force their bitches to breed every time they are in season,” explains Barry Hundley, Executive Director of the PFI. “This not only leads to an unhealthy and weak mother who will die at a relatively young age, but also to poorly developed pups who are prone to disease, bone malformation and other problems.”

“The PFI recently launched a web-site – www.petwise.co.za – to create a hub for pet breeders and pet owners or potential owners,” continues Hundley. “We are trying to ensure controls exist so that only legitimate listings and registered pets appear on our site. We now find that in addition to puppy farmers, unscrupulous operators such as Liz Carlo Pets are also a threat to the integrity of the service we are providing.”

The complainant (clearly an aggrieved expectant puppy owner) who brought the matter of Liz Carlo Pets to the attention of the ASA must be congratulated on such responsible action. The more we expose unscrupulous behaviour and individuals, the less likely people are to be disappointed or to have disastrous experiences with a new pet. While owning an animal is a responsibility, it is also wonderfully rewarding, concludes Hundley.

Contacts PFI:

Prominent Marketing: Liz Rogers, 011-465-8878 or liz@pro-mark.co.za