Tough rules coming for puppy farms
● New licence regulations will target illegal breeders of dogs, cats and rabbits
A crackdown on puppy farms and the breeding of “designer pets” is to be launched by the Scottish Government through tougher licence regulations.
A consultation on a new licensing system for breeders of domestic animals found 96.8 per cent of people supported increased regulation – including limiting the number of litters animals can have in their lifetimes and ending breeding practices that lead to ill health and genetic disorders.
More than 650 responses were received by the government to its consultation document, with the vast majority in favour of new rules which could drastically reduce the number of breeders “who put profit before animal welfare”.
Now the government will work with councils and animal welfare organisations to bring forward new regulations around dog, cat and rabbit breeding.
The move comes just four months after the government launched a campaign to highlight the issues around buying illegally bred puppies. The puppy trade in Scotland is estimated at £13 million a year but a large proportion are illegally bred and sold online or through social media.
Research has shown that a quarter of puppies bought online die before their fifth birthday, and one in three get sick or die in the first year.
The new licence regulations would make it harder for illegal trade in dogs, cats and rabbits to continue as premises would have their annual number of breeding animals capped as well as restrictions put on how many litters animals could breed in their lifetime. They could also reduce the burden on animal welfare and rescue charities.
Rural affairs minister Mairi Gougeon, said: “We love our pets in Scotland, so it is no surprise that so many people are
0 Scotland’s puppy trade is estimated at £13m a year
in favour of our proposals to further protect the welfare of cats, dogs and rabbits.
“The aim is to modernise the whole licensing process – making it less onerous on
those organisations already doing the right thing and, most importantly, ensuring that the system is centred around the welfare of animals. The Scottish Government will now work with local authorities, welfare organisations and individuals to bring these regulations forward.”