Crooks earning millions from festive puppy sales

Organised crime gangs could make multimillion-pound profits from Christmas puppy sales.

Families have been warned buying from unauthorised breeders could be fuelling other criminal activities like drug dealing and money laundering.

The Crown Office said it is looking to choke off a source of revenue for gang networks after statistics showed illegal puppy farming in Scotland is now a multi-million-pound industry.

According to a report published last month, the market for illegallytraded puppies is now worth £13 million.

Up to one-in-four buyers could be purchasing a dog reared in appalling conditions by criminals.

The Crown Office said trade is often carried out through online platforms, particularly Gumtree, free ads and Pets4homes.

Some sought-after designer breeds, such as chow chows or cavapoos, can be priced as high as £3,000.

Many animals later suffer serious health problems and either cost their new owners huge vets’ bills or are too sick to survive.

Black market puppy farming also seriously impacts the lawful business interests of thousands of properly-licensed breeders in Scotland.

Prosecutors are urging people to double-check the legitimacy of sellers if they are buying a dog for Christmas.

Procurator fiscal for specialist casework Laura Buchan said: “We realise the popular attraction that many people have of buying a puppy as a Christmas present.

“Organised crime gangs have infiltrated this activity and continue to use the profits they accrue from it to inflict widespread harm on communities throughout Scotland.

“Illegal puppy farming has grown significantly among serious organised crime gangs (SOCG) as a vital way of raising finance.

“These gangs are involved in the distribution of illegal drugs and money laundering.

“We would urge people to ensure they buy dogs from properly-licensed breeders or from recognised outlets.”

According to last month’s Scottish Multi-agency Strategic Threat Assessment (SMASTA) report, there are currently three SOCGS involved in the illicit puppy trade and a further seven groups recorded as having links to puppy farms and dog trading businesses.

Demand for puppies during the Covid-19 pandemic soared to unprecedented levels, leading to a huge jump in the cost of animals, many of which are illegally imported from Ireland.

Criminal gangs in the Irish Republic and the north have used Cairnryan port as a main channel for bringing badly-bred pups to the UK.

The situation has also been exploited by illicit and low-welfare breeders.

Almost one-in-four consumers may have inadvertently bought from a puppy farm, the report warned.

Puppies bought from unlicensed breeders and dealers frequently suffer from behavioural issues, congenital health defects and infectious diseases.

A spokesman for the Scottish SPCA said: “Puppies are treated like a commodity, bred in huge numbers with no regard for their welfare.

“The conditions they are born in lead to serious medical and behavioural issues and, in many instances, death at just a few weeks old.

“Our special investigations unit investigated hundreds of reports of puppy farms last year.

“They have raided them and individuals involved in the greed-driven trade have been prosecuted.”