A petition calling for the banning of ‘puppy farms’ has attracted more than 100,000 signatures – and is being backed by a Bolton MP.
‘Ban the sale of young puppies and kittens without their mothers being present’, an e-petition created by TV vet Mark Abraham, currently has 105,286 signatures – enough for a debate in the House of Commons.
The petition comes as a group of MPs, including Bolton North East MP David Crausby, signed two Early Day Motions (EDMs) highlighting the growing number of imported puppies from Eastern Europe and their treatment.
The EDMs are named Puppy Farms and Animal Welfare, the Unlicensed Advertisement of Puppies, the Sale of Puppies in Pet Shops and the Welfare of Imported Puppies.
The puppies and kittens are separated from their mothers too early and suffer from impaired immune systems, painful diseases, shorter life spans and behavioural problems, according to the e-petition.
The e-petition reads: “These puppies and kittens are transported long distances and sold via pet shops, newspaper advertisements, websites and private dealers.
“The only exceptions are rescue animals that have been orphaned and abandoned.
“We call on the Government to ban the sale of young puppies/kittens unless their mothers are present.
“We ask for urgent action to raise awareness and encourage the public to choose a responsibly bred puppy or kitten at least eight weeks old, or adopt from a legitimate rescue organisation.
“The Government must end the cruel practice of puppy/kitten farming in the UK.”
Four Paws, an international animal welfare charity, have called the farms “factory farms” for dogs, saying they produce vast numbers of puppies that are sold to the public, often with little regard for the welfare of the animals.
Breeding bitches will often spend their entire lives in poor living conditions, being used as mere machines to produce litters for profit, add the organisation.
Thousands of puppies and kittens are transported for sale across Europe with fake documents, according to Four Paws, while 425,000 people purchasing puppies online or in pet shops have failed to experience ‘overall good health’ of their pet, according to the Kennel Club.
Angelique Davies, Head of Programmes at Four Paws, said: “Thousands of dogs of all breeds can be found in reputable shelters and rescue centres across the country, all desperate for a loving home so please don’t forget them.
“We are urging the British public to adopt not buy a puppy and to carefully consider whether bringing a new lifelong commitment into their lives is the right choice for them.
“Rescue centre staff will often be on hand to offer guidance, so people who re-home a dog have plenty of help and advice available.”
A checklist issued by the organisation advises people not to buy a puppy if the breeder won’t let them view the puppy with its mother and litter.
An RSPCA spokesman said: “The RSPCA is hugely concerned about the on-going trade in puppies by people who are more interested in making a profit than the health and welfare of the animals they sell.
“We continue to investigate such complaints and our special operations unit continues to run a number of investigations into the trafficking and sale of potential sick animals which are kept in poor conditions before being sold with false paperwork.
“The stark reality is that while people continue to fuel the demand for such puppies, these rogue sellers will continue to operate.”
The RSPCA receive 1,500 complaints about puppy farms each year, with people complaining the puppies they have bought become extremely sick or even die shortly after purchase.
Sally Wright, a spokeswoman from the Dogs Trust, has signed the petition. She said people should not be satisfied with simply viewing the ‘mother’ as this may not be the mother of the puppy at all.
“Dogs Trust works very hard to educate the public about the steps to follow when getting a puppy,” she said.
“The charity supports the ban on the sale of puppies and kittens without their mother being present – with obvious caveats for situations which may arise such as in rehoming centres where the puppies might be orphaned or abandoned.
“Dogs Trust believes, however, that puppy farmers are increasingly aware of this desire on the part of the purchaser and it therefore encourages people to look closely at the interaction between the mother and its puppy.”
The revelations intensify pressure on the government following the relaxation of quarantine rules and regulations governing transport conditions and journey times for the animals.
Recently, Ireland implemented legislation outlawing puppy farming, giving authorities the powers to issue harsher penalties and shut down breeders.
However, the government say that under The Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999, any person who keeps a breeding establishment or breeds dogs for sale must obtain a licence from the local authority.
According to the Act the local authority has discretion when deciding whether to grant a licence and, before doing so, must satisfy itself that the animals are provided with suitable accommodation, food, water and bedding material; are adequately exercised and visited at suitable intervals; and that all reasonable precautions are taken to prevent and control the spread of diseases amongst dogs.
As with the dog breeding legislation, local authorities have powers to investigate allegations of cruelty or poor welfare.
The Act also states it is an offence for ‘hobby breeders’, who occasionally breed dogs, to cause any unnecessary suffering to animal or fail to provide for its welfare.
Maximum penalty fines for breaches of these terms are £20,000 or six months in prison.
Picture courtesy of Niall Kennedy, with thanks.
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