Noisy neighbour must pay £16,000

SURVEY REVEALS MORE THAN A MILLION ADULTS BELIEVE THE CRUEL PRACTICE WAS ‘A GOOD WAY OF BUYING A DOG’

THE demand for designer dogs is at an all-time high thanks to celebrity culture.

But if you’re making the ultimate commitment to buying a helpless animal, do you know the proper way of doing it?

According to a survey conducted by the RSPCA and insurance site Go Compare, 1.2million adults in the UK thought puppy farms were “a good way of getting an animal that is responsibly bred and raised”.

Puppy farming is a cruel practice where dogs are bred solely for profit with little or no concern for the health and wellbeing of the puppies or their parents.

In the West Midlands alone, 60 per cent of adults surveyed didn’t think seeing the dog’s mother was important in the buying process.

The organisations have now teamed up to make a video to raise awareness of what puppy farms are and how to spot them when looking to buy a dog.

Lisa Richards, senior scientific officer at the RSPCA, said: “The awful conditions that puppies from unscrupulous breeders and dealers experience, can lead to both serious health conditions and long-term behavioural problems.

“So the puppy you thought would make a great family pet could go on to be seriously ill or afraid of new experiences, people or other animals, and could go on to behave aggressively later on in life.

“Our advice is always to do lots of research and use the puppy contract, it gives you all of the questions you need to be asking yourself and the breeder before buying a puppy.

“If there are any warning signs, if the breeder or dealer is evasive or if you’re unsure always walk away and report it to the RSCPA and the local authority.”