Call to end third-party sales to help improve animal welfare

THE founder of a campaign to ban third-party sales of puppies has urged Scots to be wary of a new trend of importing pups from abroad.

Vet Marc Abraham was behind the successful Lucy’s Law in England which means animals down south, must be bought direct from a breeder or animal centre.

The law has not yet been adopted in Scotland.

But now too many would-be pet owners across the UK are turning to websites in countries

BY JON HEBDITCH reporters@dailyrecord.co.uk such as Russia to own designer breeds including Chihuahuas, Pomeranians and French bulldogs.

A petition has been launched calling for a halt to all third-party sales of pups from abroad and has gathered almost 60,000 signatures.

Marc said: “People have been sourcing animals from overseas for decades, notably Spain, Greece, Portugal, and Romania.

“The difference is the type of organisation doing it and the age of the animals.

“Plus people generally are trying to do the ‘right’ thing when sourcing an animal/family pet – as in, do it legally – and as long as these routes to market remain legal, they will always be used.

“It’s important to note that just because something’s legal and licensed, it doesn’t always mean it’s OK on animal welfare grounds.

“My advice for anyone buying a puppy is to always do your research. Try rescue first – for example, the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home – read online reviews, Google breeders’ names and phone numbers and always ask to see puppy interacting with its mum and littermates.

“Puppies should never be transported long distances from where they were born and, for Scottish animal lovers, please ask the Scottish Government to bring in Lucy’s Law ASAP – which they’ve promised – making all breeders accountable and whole buying process transparent.”