Puppy farms increase 12-fold in Shropshire
'Distressing' figures have revealed puppy farms in Shropshire have increased by more than 12 times in the last 10 years.
Now the RSPCA is urging prospective dog owners to consider adopting a rescue pet.
Last year was the worst yet for complaints about the puppy trade to the animal charity’s 24-hour emergency hotline. It received 4,357 complaints last year - a 390 per cent increase on 10 years ago when it took just 890 reports related to the underground industry. In Shropshire, the charity received six complaints in 2008 compared to 81 last year.
There has been a year-on-year increase in reports over the past decade as more and more unscrupulous breeders and dealers seek to cash in on a growing puppy market - where dogs of certain breeds can sell for hundreds or even thousands of pounds.
RSPCA dog welfare expert Lisa Hens said: “It is distressing that we are still seeing so many reports about puppy farms but part of this increase is probably due to people being more savvy about what to look out for when getting a pet.
“We know there’s a spike in people searching for puppies and buying dogs at the beginning of the school holidays but we’d urge families to carefully consider whether getting a dog is right for them. Dogs are a huge commitment and need lots of time and attention, even once summer is over and the kids are back at school.
“If you do have the time and money for a dog then we’d urge you to consider rescuing instead of buying a puppy. Not only will this give a rescue dog a chance at finding his forever home but it’ll also save any potential heartache caused by unwittingly buying a dog from a puppy farm.”
She added: “After the RSPCA campaigned for years, the Government last year finally introduced tougher licensing regulations around the selling of animals - including breeding and selling dogs - which we hope will help crackdown on this multi-million pound industry.
“The Government has also committed to a ban on the third-party sales of puppies and kittens which, alongside tougher licensing conditions will also help to tackle puppy farms and dodgy dealers. However, we also need to educate the public to ensure that they only buy puppies from responsible breeders who prioritise the health and welfare of their dogs over profit.”
