Charity’s plea after dozens of puppies seized in welfare probe

A welfare group has made a fresh plea for would-be puppy owners to properly research their prospective purchases following a string of recent seizures.

Nearly 50 animals have entered Scottish SPCA care in recent weeks as part of ongoing investigations into the low welfare puppy trade.

The charity has now launched an urgent online fund-raising appeal to help meet the costs of their care, which could total more than £2,000 per day.

But it has also appealed for the public not to buy puppies whose origins and welfare cannot be properly verified.

Demand

A statement issued by the charity this afternoon, 24 August, said: “Behind every puppy sold is a demand from someone looking to bring a new dog into their family.

“While there is a market for puppies that have been bred, transported or sold without proper regard for their welfare, people will continue to exploit that demand.

“Every purchase has consequences and choosing not to buy a puppy where its origins or welfare cannot be properly established will help reduce the demand that fuels this market.”

With mother

The charity has urged would-be buyers to arrange to see puppies with their mother in the breeder’s home rather than meeting them elsewhere.

They also urged the public to check their environment and documentation and to walk away if they felt pressured into making a quick decision.

The group said the latest seizures, made as the puppies were entering the country, were a “stark reminder” of the continuing scale of the problem.

Responsibility

Its statement added: “Sadly, when puppies are seized, they become our responsibility.

“We will do everything we can to give them the care they need but that comes at a significant cost.”

The charity estimates daily care costs £52 for a single puppy with an average stay in its facilities lasting for two months.