There is no legal definition for the word puppy farming, but it is generally accepted and recognised by animal welfare organisations, as dog breeders who breed indiscriminately from their bitches and sell their puppies onto a third party. Puppy farmers mass-produce puppies, often on a commercial scale, selling them onto dealers and agents, who frequently are dog breeders too, who then sell the puppies onto pet shops.

For generations individuals have always bred dogs, particularly in rural farming areas, where it has been seen as a normal part of community life to have a breeding bitch that could produce a litter of puppies. This is usually a working sheepdog, border collie, springer spaniel, cocker spaniel, Labrador or golden retriever. A puppy was chosen and retained from the litter to bring on and work, to earn its keep so to speak, a working dog was considered to be an invaluable tool. The breeders surplus stock was then sold onto other local farmers and further afield to work as gun dogs. The puppies were much sought after, particularly if they came from good, sound, working stock.

Therefore, the breeding, buying and dealing in dogs is nothing new, it was an accepted way of rural life. However, in the last few decades, individuals have exploited dog breeding and used it as a means of supplementing their income. It became a lucrative trade for some individuals and farmers, to retain a bitch and dog puppy from a litter which substantially increased the numbers of dogs kept. Dog breeding, which originated, as a ‘cottage industry’ soon became a multi million pound enterprise. This of course, was detrimental to the health of the dogs that were often interbred. Monetary gain was far more important than ensuring that good breeding practice took place.

The farmers often had obsolete barns and outbuildings at their disposal in which to keep the dogs and sought out the market to sell the puppies. Some not only bred from their dogs but became dealers too, supplying pet shops. The Government advisors, the Agriculture Development and Advisory Service, which at the time was part of MAFF (now DEFRA), even encouraged this trade by suggesting dairy farmers diversified by going into dog breeding to supplement their income. This was due to the low income gained from their milk quota introduced by the EEC. During this period, the rural farming communities, particularly in areas of South West Wales, became known as the main source of supply of puppies for the pet trade.

Some individuals were even breeding beagles for the vivisection industry, so lucrative was the market and at least one company was operating and advertising to supply various breeds of dogs to vivisection companies that did not require pathogen free dogs.

As more individuals and farmers became involved, the numbers of breeding bitches increased and animal husbandry was compromised. Some farmers turned their obsolete barns and outhouses over for the sole use of dog breeding, to facilitate the increased numbers of breeding bitches. Others used anything that was available - old cars, caravans, coal bunkers, disused pigsties, wooden or corrugated shelters - the construction was immaterial, providing the breeding bitch had some form of shelter to produce a litter of puppies in. The suffering of the breeding bitch was extensive, often living in isolation, unable to see others accommodated in the same building and suffering the same plight.

The breeding bitch soon became a machine; her sole role in life was to be bred from each season. Her end was no better, drowning, clubbing or shooting were the horrendous methods used, for many bitches this may have come as a release from a life of being mated each season and continually in whelp. The puppy farmers treated the breeding bitch as livestock and paid little attention even to her basic needs.

The dog, a sociable animal, needs the companionship of human company and exercise, neither was available. Little or no attention was paid to basic animal husbandry, such as worming and vaccination, neither were used and diseases such as parvo virus, which was common place, spread rapidly. The greed of the puppy farmers to produce as many puppies as possible, as at little cost, meant that cruelty and suffering went hand in hand. It was reported that on one sheep farm rotting sheep cacasses hung from the rafters of a barn where the dogs were kept, this was the only food that was available for both dogs and puppies, many of the puppies were poorly but were left to fend for themselves. In simple terms, puppies were cheap to breed but the puppy farmers had too many dogs to care for and lacked the manpower to enable them to do so efficiently, this caused immense suffering.

The puppies were taken from their mothers far too early, often unweaned and placed in any container, dumped in a vehicle and transported to ‘a meet’. This was often a motorway service station, car park or lay-by, where puppy farmers had previously arranged to exchange puppies for hard cash with the dealers. Litters from various farms would become mixed, this caused disease to spread even further afield and many puppies died as a result. The puppies were often undernourished, weak and had difficulty withstanding the transportation, sometimes hundreds of miles from the breeders premises to ‘the meet’ and then onto the pet shops.

During the last 15 years or so, puppy farming has often been highlighted in the media. The true horrors of the existence of breeding bitches held within the confines of barren cold comfortless barns, outhouses and old vehicles was uncovered by animal welfare organisations, such as Puppywatch, who were at the forefront of highlighting this clandestine trade in pedigree puppies.

It soon became clear that in areas such as South West Wales the trade for mass-produced intensively reared pedigree puppies destined for the pet market was prolific. It was becoming a multi million pound industry, with few safeguards in place to ensure that the welfare of the breeding bitches, stud dogs and in particular the puppies, were not compromised.. No longer was it just a ‘cottage industry’ supplying the pet retail trade in the UK, but also was a very rapid growing industry supplying a worldwide market. Puppies originating from S W Wales could be found in pet shops in Hong Kong and Japan, this still applies today.

In three areas of Wales during 1995, namely Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, there was approximately 230 licensed dog breeding establishments. This, together with the estimation of 290 unlicensed dog breeding establishments makes a total of 520. All having at least 10 breeding bitches, the average being 40, at least one was known to have 145 breeding bitches! This one establishment alone could produce over 1,000 puppies in a year. Imagine for a moment the total number of puppies produced from over 500 dog breeding establishments in a year from just these areas of south-west Wales, then I think you will understand the concerns that I have for this despicable trade in puppies.

Not only was puppy farming operating from S W Wales, it existed in Scotland, N Ireland and certain parts of England too and continues until this very day. The laws to govern dog breeding at this time were the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973 and later the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999. In essence very little has changed, the trade of puppy farming still exists. The introduction of the Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999 was thought by many to stem the trade in puppies, however this has not been the case. Whilst those breeders that are licensed may have in theory new regulations to comply with, many more no longer have to be licensed as they no longer come within the jurisdiction of the new Act. In some areas the new legislation is either very loosely enforced or non-existent, one particular area of great concern is still S W Wales which has the largest output of puppies from puppy farmers, commercial breeders and individuals, who regularly supply dealers and agents with puppies for the pet outlets in the UK and abroad.

Councils have the powers to prosecute for unlicensed breeding activities but many fail miserably in enforcing existing legislation or prosecuting for unlicensed dog breeding. Without effective enforcement many breeding bitches, stud dogs and vulnerable puppies suffer in the hands of the unscrupulous breeders who know they can flaunt the law and Councils that are not acting in the best interest of the animals.

Puppy farming is also of particular concern in Eire, (S Ireland) where no dog licensing laws exist to govern dog breeding. This makes it extremely easy for dog breeders to breed in excess, many keeping the dogs and puppies in disgusting conditions. The puppies are taken from their mothers far too early making them extremely vulnerable, frequently sickly and harbouring disease. The lack of legislation and regulations to govern the excesses of dog breeding has allowed dog breeders to produce litters of puppies in vast numbers and compete with the Welsh puppy farmers in rearing puppies for the puppy trade. As there is no requirement for dog breeders to be licensed in Eire has encouraged some Welsh puppy farmers to uproot and move, taking advantage of this very lax situation. They can keep as many dogs as they like, breed from their dogs as often as they wish, can kennel their dogs and puppies in any accommodation regardless of condition or type, without the fear of any checks being made from an authority regulator. This makes puppy farming very lucrative for the unscrupulous, allowing animal welfare to be seriously compromised. The puppy farmers in Eire continue to supply the pet trade throughout the UK, particularly in London and the South East but also supply agents/dealers in the Far East where puppies can be found in pet shops

.puppy_alert2003@yahoo.co.uk

THE CRUEL PUPPY TRADE

Puppy Alert was established to conduct nationwide research into the supply of puppies from multi-breed kennels or 'agents' to pet shops offering various breeds of puppies for sale. Sadly, throughout Britain and Eire, 'puppy farming', whether from licensed or unlicensed premises, is rife. Breeding bitches are frequently bred from each season and often live in solitary confinement. They are forced each season to produce excessive quantities of puppies for the pet trade, estimated at over 100,000 every year.

Purchasers of these puppies often find that within a few days the puppy is sick and needs urgent veterinary care, some suffering so badly they have died, at just a few weeks old. Other puppies have been found to be suffering from aggressive behaviour, temperament or hereditary problems

If you have purchased a puppy from a pet shop, multi-breed kennel, or 'agent' having several breeds of puppies for sale and the puppy has become sick or died shortly after purchase, we would like to hear from you.

We hope to be able to build a dossier to present to the relevant Local Councils, in the hope that they will take the correct action against these people.

Web Address: http://mysite.freeserve.com/puppy_alert/index.htm

Email: puppy_alert2003@yahoo.co.uk