11 May Puppy farming: The dark side of buying dogs
Puppy farming is a growing phenomenon with extreme consequences. Dog breeders prosecuted for horrific animal abuse are escaping with light sentences as illegal puppy farming increases by 55 % across Britain according to Dog Trust UK.
This investigation has found that dogs illegally bred on puppy farms are increasingly sold privately as if born from family litters to hide their background from unsuspecting buyers.
According to the Kennel Club “only 2% of pet shops sell puppies (around 70 UK outlets) of the current dog population of around 9 million, 16% were sold via pet shops equating to approximately 1.5 million dogs”.
This investigation will look into the sentencing of illegal puppy farmers in the UK and will look to establish reasons why the justice system allows perpetrator to avoid jail time and community service. Also this investigation will look into organisations like the RSPCA and The Kennel Club who protest the rights of animals and injustice. RSPCA representative said “Puppy farming offences need harsher sentences to avoid the repetition of such abuse”.
This kind of animal abuse is sweeping the UK; puppies are subjected to cruelty to make quick profit in harsh condition. More dogs are falling victim to puppy farming as the demand for household pets has risen.
According to Dog Trust puppy sales can make up to £100’000 a year based on smuggling dogs or breeding. Reports of the horrific abuse of puppies by breeders were widespread at the beginning of the year. Several high-profile cases came to court highlighting the scale of the problem.
One was illegal puppy farmer Richard Jones who was convicted of the cruelty of 21 dogs. Mr Jones had up to 113 dogs in his puppy farm when Welsh police raided his home and his premises last year. The puppies found was left in small and crapped conditions with little food and left in darkness, after examination puppies suffered stress and unnecessary mental suffering. Mr Jones was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence, so avoided custody.
Ronnie Lambert of Puppy Love Campaigns, an anti-puppy farm campaign group, said after the sentencing: “It is a very weak sentence and it wouldn’t deter any puppy farmers in Wales from doing the same. I cannot believe it. It’s absolutely shocking.”
Chantelle Evans owner of 2 staffs shared her thoughts about the Richard Jones case; she says “the law should protect animals from abuse looks like current laws aren’t helpful as most of the prosecutions don’t fit the crimes carried out”.
The Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare Act) 1999 states breeders who breed five or more litters per year must be licensed by their local authority. Breeders with fewer litters must also be licensed if they are carrying out a business of breeding dogs for sale.
Licensed breeders must:
- a) Not mate a dog less than 12 months old.
- b) Not whelp more than six litters from a mother dog.
- c) Not whelp two litters within a 12 month period from the same mother dog.
The Animal Welfare Regulations act 2014:
- Any breeder who breeds three of more litters within a 12 month period must be licensed..
- Licensed breeders must implement an approved socialisation and enrichment programme for their animals.
- Not sell their puppies until they are eight weeks old.
The new standards oblige the licence holder to take all reasonable steps to protect dogs from pain, suffering, injury and disease.
Dog owner Chantelle Evans overlooked laws to see whether the laws are effective or not. Ms Evans said “these changes are not enough to protect vulnerable animals as puppy farming or any other crime is still happening, there needs to be harsher sentences to fully deter and educate those who carry out these crimes”.
Who is responsible for these crimes? How can they get away with such cruelty? MPs say the industry “works in the dark” with “unlicensed breeders able to dominate the market.” The Government have come under criticism about the laws behind animal abuse. RSPCA Rep adds “As the law stands at present, the maximum penalty for the most serious animal abuse cases is just six months custodial and/or an unlimited fine. Putting this into context – a person selling fake DVDs could get a higher sentence than a person illegally selling unfit puppies in poor conditions.” The Government are looking to change laws but when will that happen.
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committee also calls for animal welfare classes to be included in schools and the maximum penalty for animal cruelty increased from six months to five years. The government should tighten prosecutions.
The Kennel Club are big advocates for the change in law and awareness of puppy farms. Earlier this year a petition was started by the Kennel Club to combat puppy farming, there was 8’738 signatures in total. This petition was an online one and was proposed to UK Government and Parliament. The petition was to make puppy farming illegal in the UK.
Head of petition for the Kennel Club said “Using bitches as breeding machines is disgusting and no reputable breeder would ever do this. There are already many unwanted dogs in the UK, putting a strain on the RSPCA and the many charitable private dog Rescues. There is simply no need for puppy farms at all, they are cruel and should be stopped”.
In other efforts to combat puppy farming, The Kennel Club have Puppy Awareness Week 18-24 Sept 2017 “PAW aims to make sure that puppies live healthy, happy lives with suitable owners by spreading the ‘be puppy aware’ message” from Kennel Club Representatives.
I wanted to investigate the selling of puppies by becoming a buyer myself. I wanted to infiltrate the dog buying world so I could achieve the whole experience that many unaware potential dog owners go through. Sellers are posing as private pedigree sellers who have puppies which in fact they are just selling farmed pups.
The aim was to see if I could potential encounter the illegal selling of a dog and the prices at hand.
I used gum tree and craigslist to start my search as I knew I would find something that other sites wouldn’t have shown so easily. I wanted to have the right criteria before I approach the sellers. According to the RSPCA it’s crucial to ask:
- Did they breed the puppy?
- Are the puppies kept where they were bred?
- How many puppies are/were in the litter?
- Have the puppies or their parents had any health problems?
After days of digging I came across a user yorkie23 who sold Yorkshire terriers in areas around me for £300 they were 3 months old and in high demand.
I contacted the seller and we started talking I asked the questions deemed necessary from the RSPCA to prove the pups weren’t from a puppy farm. I asked for pictures of the mother and pups together so I know whether the pups from the family pet dog and not from a puppy farm but seller yorkie23 had no pictures of the mother only puppies yet proceeded to tell me the mother was around.
This became highly suspicious. I continued with the questioning and asked again before the communication was cut off and I was blocked.
From this interaction it became apparent how easy it is to own a puppy farm and illegally advertise pups online. “Online dog sells are the easiest way for puppy farmers to make profit and fool the public” said Veterinary student Charlotte Wills.
Purchasing a puppy from an illegal breeder or puppy farm will cost the owners a lot and continue the suffering of the animal. According research carried out by the Kennel Club:
- Over a third of people (37 per cent) who ended up with a sick pup after buying online or from newspaper ads experienced financial problems due to cost, and 35 per cent suffered from emotional problems
- One in five who bought a pup online or from newspaper ads are forced to spend between £500 and £1,000 on vet bills in the first six months of the puppy’s life – often more than the original cost of the puppy
- Buying a pup from a responsible breeder can cost owners 18 per cent less in unplanned veterinary fees and pups are 23 per cent less likely to need to visit the vet
The facts and figures show the trouble of puppy farming and the strain it has on dogs and the people who care for them. More needs to be done to stop these crimes and hold the right people accountable.
A spokesman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said: ‘Most people who buy dogs online or from breeders are unaware of the suffering occurring behind the scenes in this shady business.’
Julie Sanders, of the charity Four Paws UK, added: ‘It is clear that the conditions on these industrial sized facilities are in no way appropriate for the needs of a dog and that the industry amounts to cruelty.’
The governing body for animal welfare the RSPCA started campaigns to rule out puppy farms and trades by raising awareness of such cruelty. The RSPCA receives over 10’000 calls about suspected puppy breeding and farming.
“We’d like to see a review of criminal justice measures for animal offenders – which would include tougher sentencing, restorative justice and the creation of a register of offenders for those found guilty of animal cruelty offences.”
RSPCA reps and workers work vigorously to prevent animal’s crimes to only see the criminals walk free with little precautions.
The RSPCA said “the age puppies can be brought into the UK should be raised from 15 weeks to six months”. Dogs Trust adds “such measures would eliminate the abhorrent illegal puppy trade overnight”.
There’s an outcry for more to be done about puppy farming. It’s easy for people to sell dogs in poor condition as the law doesn’t deter perpetrators. From this investigation it demonstrates that the law failed to protect animals from cruelty and that’s why the Kennel Club and the RSPCA are maximising their efforts in banning puppy farming in the UK. The investigation shows that laws set out need to follow through without allowing perpetrators to avoid possible punishment.
