MP to fight puppy farms
A new community group has been launched to allow children to have fun outdoors while learning new skills.
Muddy Adventures is the brainchild of Bellshill’s Malissa Bell (33), who has set up the forest school in Strathclyde Park for kids to engage with nature.
The group was started 10 weeks ago with help from an Awards for All grant of £8000 from the National Lottery.
In less than three months Muddy Adventures now welcomes 60 children every weekend.
“When I first had the idea I thought to myself if I get five kids for the first session that would be great,” Malissa said.
“But within an hour it had sold out – it was amazing. So I added an extra session and it sold out too.
“I now run three sessions every Saturday.”
Children aged four to 12 from
A lot of parents have given me great feedback saying their kids love it ....
Hamilton West MP Margaret Ferrier is calling for more to be done to tackle the scourge of puppy farms.
She has concerns about producing puppies for profit, with little thought for the health or welfare of the animal or their parents.
A recent BBC Panorama program showed shocking images of maltreated breeding dogs, confined conditions and abandoned dead puppies.
Ms Ferrier said:“on puppy farms, breeding dogs and pups are usually kept in horrific dark conditions, totally unsocialised and riddled with infectious diseases.
“These sick pups are then sold en-masse and often die soon after reaching their new home.
“This issue is clearly important to the public, and I want to ensure it stays high on the political agenda also. We are supposedly a nation of dog lovers, and our canine companions deserve better.
“Puppy farming is one of the biggest animal welfare issues in the UK. There are many decent, accountable breeders out there, as well as dogs in shelters needing to be rehomed. Responsible purchasing can help decrease the demand for farmed dogs.”
As well as action to curb the third party sales of puppies, Ms Ferrier is also trying to raise awareness so that constituents can buy puppies responsibly, and not unwittingly contribute to this cruel trade.