Fight this evil trade by careful shopping

THE illegal puppy trade is big business.

The RSPCA estimates between 700,000 and 1.9 million animals a year are traded.

And experts say the black market in puppies could be worth as much as £100million.

One investigation found that a fifth of all dogs bought online will be dead within six months.

Last year one pair of traders were found guilty of trafficking designer dogs into the UK.

They sold 300 animals for £2,000 each.

Behind the numbers, the cruel nature of the trade is breathtaking.

The dogs are kept in the most horrific conditions – locked in darkness, underfed, beaten.

These evil traffickers have no compassion.

They don’t care that these are living, breathing animals who feel pain and suffering.

Squalid

They only care about the profit margins.

This grubby trade is, quite simply, organised crime.

As one RSPCA inspector told us: “It is the most prolific cruelty

“It’s in every town, every city. The demand is phenomenal.”

Unscrupulous dealers are renting houses, printing glossy brochures, and inventing fake identities. They do this to take advantage of unwitting buyers. It’s a growing market.

There is a simple solution to this evil trade.

People need to stop buying these animals.

We need to cut off the cash that is keeping these vile gangs afloat.

If you want a puppy, make sure you buy one from a reputable, established and licensed dealer. That way, you are buying a dog that will be healthier and happier.

And helping to end this evil, squalid trade for good.