Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
CELEBS BACK
CELEBRITIES including Simon Cowell and Dame Olivia Newtonjohn are supporting a campaign to end cruel puppy farm imports.
The Mirror is backing calls to ban what is described as a “legal but immoral” route to market for young puppies bred up to thousands of miles away in horrific conditions, removed from their mothers too early and then sold to unsuspecting British customers.
Currently, the animals need to be at least 15 weeks old before they are allowed into the UK.
We are calling for this age to be raised to at least six months, which campaigners believe will make border checks easier to enforce as the puppies’ permanent teeth will have come through by then.
By raising the import age by just 11 weeks, it would therefore be easier to identify those that are too young, especially as often paperwork is easily faked from countries such as Russia, Hungary, and Romania.
Campaigners also believe the move would effectively put a huge dent in the market, as most buyers don’t want puppies advertised as six months or older, with the majority of breeders less keen to keep pups on their establishments for that long either.
Celebrities this week praised the Mirror for formally endorsing the campaign, which was started by Lucy Parkinson, from Preston, Lancashire, whose Government e-petition has attracted more than 66,000 signatures in just two weeks.
She is being supported by celebrity vet Marc Abraham, who spearheaded Lucy’s Law, which banned the thirdparty sale of puppies and kittens in England – an important welfare campaign the Mirror also proudly backed.
TV mogul Simon Cowell said: “I totally support the Mirror’s campaign. Dogs are our best friends.
“It breaks my heart to think of puppies being treated badly and in appalling conditions – while people make money from them.
“We must do anything we can to stop this happening.”
And Grease singer Dame Olivia Newton-john said: “I am appalled to learn about the horrible conditions and treatment of puppies being imported into the UK from breeders with no compassion or love for these dogs – only greed.
“Cruelty to animals is hideous beyond imagination and this needs to be stopped immediately.”
Strictly star Shirley Ballas added: “I am in total support of the Mirror’s campaign. It breaks my heart to think of these tiny animals being treated so badly just for money. All must be done to stop these puppy farms in their tracks.”
Pop superstar Ellie Goulding also lent her support. She said: “It’s a very good thing to be doing... what’s happening sounds terrible and I’m absolutely against cruelty to all animals.” Lucy’s petition took off after the death of Pomeranian puppy Mr Chai belonging to heartbroken Love Island couple Molly-mae Hague and Tommy Fury. It had travelled 3,500 miles by plane and car from Russia, via a UK breeder to its unsuspecting new owners.
The breeder who organised the delivery said they used “reputable” breeders in Russia.
But the tragedy shone a light on how dogs born in Russia are being transported and sold in the
UK after demand for puppies rocketed in lockdown. Despite the Government’s own advice to always physically “see puppies interacting with their mothers in their place of birth”, this