Scotland’s leading animal welfare charity has launched a scheme to prevent cruel puppy traders profiteering from the increased demand for pets.
The Scottish SPCA, which has headquarters in Dunfermline, is encouraging reputable breeders to join its Assured Puppy Breeder Scheme.
Free to join, the scheme is aimed at preventing animal neglect and cruelty. It follows a surge in cases where puppies had been separated from their mothers too early, or been riddled disease because of lack of vaccinations or being kept in filthy conditions.
“The pandemic and public demand for puppies has led to more reports to our animal helpline about unscrupulous dealers who want to make money fast with no regard for animal welfare.
“Now, more than ever, we need to provide assurance for the public that they are buying a puppy from responsible breeders. The general public can view members of the scheme through our ‘Say no to Puppy Dealers’ website and look into buying a puppy safely from them.”
The voluntary scheme is available to any dog breeder in Scotland and is free to join. The Scottish SPCA has developed a framework for responsible breeding and inspectors will assess applications and visit breeding premises annually to make sure high welfare standards are in place.
Gilly added: “We’ll continue to tackle traders and dodgy dealers, but we also want to highlight the breeders in Scotland who prioritise the welfare of parents and pups.
“We know there’s thousands of breeders across the country who do just that and we hope many of them will join this scheme. The scheme forms part of the wider resources we’ve made available to educate the public on how a proper breeder should take them through the rehoming process.
“Our aim is to save puppies and dogs and stop owners going through the heartbreak of buying a sick puppy. No animal deserves that life, if you can call it that, and we will do all we can to stop this happening.”
Trading Standards Scotland is asking online consumers to make sure they are buying puppies from legitimate sources and to do their research before they purchase a puppy online.
Julie McCarron, head of intelligence and coordination at Trading Standards Scotland, said: “We are supporting the Scottish SPCA Assured Puppy Breeder Scheme because it gives consumers a means of ensuring that they are obtaining a puppy from a reputable source.
“It gives consumers peace of mind that their pup is likely to be healthy and is not likely to require costly vet treatment. It also helps avoid the emotional distress of having purchased a sick animal who may die soon after it is purchased.”
