We’re behind in cracking down on puppy farming

IT MAY have escaped your attention with us being in the midst of a global pandemic with lockdowns, too many loo rolls and social distancing.

Last April, Lucy’s Law, which makes it illegal for puppies and kittens to be sold through a third party, was passed in England and, later, the devolved government in Wales.

In Scotland, however, we are still waiting.

In December, referring to proposed legislation to tighten the rules around pet sales, natural environment minister Ben Macpherson said: “Ensuring the best standards of animal welfare is a hugely important issue.

“It’s also a priority for the majority of dog, cat and rabbit breeders in Scotland.

“Unfortunately, for a minority, the breeding of animals to sell as pets is an easy way to make money, without appropriately considering animal welfare.

“That’s why we’re putting forward this legislation to deliver better welfare protection for animals.”

For reasons I can’t fathom, it looks like it will be September before this legislation, which will require breeders to be licensed, becomes law.

Granted, we already have The Licensing of Animal Dealers (Young Cats and Dogs) (Scotland) Regulations 2008 but they are about as complicated as their name suggests and they tend to be ignored by the authorities.

So, in the meantime, what will happen? It’s obvious. Puppies bred to sad bitches cooped up all day long in dark sheds will continue to flood the insatiable market for designer crosses and exotic breeds.

Prospective owners will succumb to “petfishing”, with adverts placed online by the unscrupulous and the unreliable that will “reel in” the gullible and the unwary. And puppies will continue to get sick, suffer, die, and cause heartache.

And, with puppy prices now in the thousands rather than the hundreds, I think we can safely add puppy trafficking to the long list of financial scams that plunder the innocent and line the pockets of the despicable.

During the Covid-19 pandemic there has been an unprecedented increase in the demand for puppies.

Market forces in a sellers’ market always dictate that prices go up and quality goes down.

Bitches are being bred from who are not suitable to be mothers.

Breeds with inherent health problems are being “normalised”.

Criminals are earning vast sums.

Lucy, the Cavalier King Charles bitch who is the namesake for the new law, was rescued from a puppy farm in 2013. Yet still, in Scotland, we are waiting.