Avoid puppy farms this Christmas, says SSPCA

Animal lovers looking to buy a puppy in the runup to Christmas are being urged to “walk away” if they suspect it has been bred in an illegal puppy farm.

Sheila Voas, the Chief Veterinary Officer for Scotland, said, in what was the most popular time for families to buy a puppy, people should be “cautious and do their homework”.

She issued the warning as the Scottish Government launched a campaign in a bid to make people more aware of the signs a dog could have been bred illegally.

Only a quarter of those buying a puppy do so from an approved breeder, recent research has indicated.

Online sales of dogs are estimated to amount to £13 million a year, but a large proportion of these could be illegally farmed animals.

Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said: “Puppy farmers are highly active at Christmas and thrive on impulse purchases.”

The Government has set up a website (www.buyapuppysafely.org) where people can find information on how to spot illegally bred dogs.