Kennel Club in new call to crack down on puppy farms crisis

NEW research by the Kennel Club highlights a puppy farming crisis in Wales.

And the club – the largest organisation in the UK devoted to dog health, welfare and training – is calling for more collaboration to clamp down on puppy farmers.

The Kennel Club has noted the long-awaited announcement that Lucy’s Law, which bans the third-party sale of puppies and kittens, will be coming into effect in Wales alongside a review of breeding regulations.

But it is stepping up its call for action by urging Welsh Assembly Members to help local authorities clamp down on puppy farmers.

The Kennel Club report, Collaboration is Key: The Way Forward for Welsh Dog-Breeding Regulations, proposes a solution to help local authorities enforce the regulations and raise breeding standards.

This comes as new research, released this week to coincide with the Kennel Club’s Puppy Awareness Week, shows that one in 10 Welsh dog-owners admit they may have bought a puppyfarmed dog.

The research shows that more than one in three dog-owners acknowledge they wouldn’t recognise the warning signs of a rogue breeder. This is 5% more than in 2018.

While current regulations constituted a major shake-up in 2014, they have had little impact due to poorly resourced local authorities being unable to enforce these new laws singlehandedly.

In response, the Kennel Club’s report urges the government to consider utilising its Assured Breeder Scheme to alleviate the burden on local authorities, which alongside Lucy’s Law, could genuinely and effectively help to combat the puppy farming crisis in Wales.

Figures in the report highlight the inconsistency in the application of the law.

The Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme suspended 12 breeders in Wales in 2018, while local authorities only revoked two licences in 2016 and 2017.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club secretary, said: “It’s so important that the Welsh Government learns from both the successes and failures of other UK jurisdictions in their approach to updating dog-breeding regulations, and strike the right balance between making proper improvements without overcomplicating the system for those involved.

“This is critical now at a time when illegal puppy-trafficking is rife. Similarly, as Lucy’s Law comes into effect, this is the perfect opportunity to work together to drive puppy farmers out of business.”