RSPCA welcomes new puppy-breeding rules

A LEADING charity welcomed plans announced by the Government yesterday to crack down on dog breeders in England who put profits ahead of the health and welfare of the animals.

It came as the RSPCA revealed that 2017 was its busiest year yet tackling the illegal puppy trade, with 295 dogs rescued from puppy farms and unscrupulous breeders up to December 20.

The charity received a record 4,125 calls of complaints relating to the puppy trade in England – an 11.8 per cent increase compared with last year. A total of 465 of those calls related to the trade in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Under the new rules, puppies bred by licensed breeders will have better protection under law; anyone selling a puppy, including online, will need to get a licence and display that licence number; and buyers will need to see the puppy with the mother at the place it was bred before being able to complete a purchase.

Welcoming the announcement, RSPCA interim chief executive Michael Ward said: “This year our inspectors, working with the police and councils, rescued hundreds of puppies and breeding dogs being kept in miserable, squalid conditions by heartless people cashing in on the growing market for puppies.

“We hope these proposed licensing conditions for England, which include a ban on breeders selling puppies other than from their licensed premises, will improve the welfare of puppies and their parents and also crack down on the multi-millionpound illegal trade, making it less likely that people are duped by rogue dealers.”