Putting An End To Puppy Farming - The Kennel Club And Moto Service Stations Clamp Down Together
Puppies across the country are being ruthlessly sold in car parks by puppy farmers who breed purely for profit, treating the dogs as commodities only, disregarding their basic needs and care.
The Kennel Club, Dogs Trust and Moto motorway service areas have teamed up to call for public support and vigilance to help put a stop to this trade which causes so much unnecessary suffering.
Puppy farmers profit greatly from intensive breeding, with their aim being to make a quick turnover. They achieve this by selling the puppies when they are too young to be separated from their mothers and the rest of the litter. This early separation is both traumatic and problematic in terms of health, development and socialisation for the dogs. In addition to this they make the puppies suffer further by transporting them on long journeys, both without their mothers and cramped in cages.
Moto staff have confirmed that they have seen people buying puppies in their car parks. A spokesman said: “It would appear that the puppy farmers arrange to meet their customers at motorway service areas because they are easy to get to and afford a degree of anonymity. However we would like to make it clear that it’s not our customers who are involved. Moto, in common with other motorway service area operators, is vehemently opposed to all illegal trading on its property and will take whatever steps are necessary to help stamp it out.”
Puppy farmers are a longstanding problem that the Kennel Club has wanted to see an end to, but as they are often hidden away within private households they are extremely difficult to detect. However, out in open spaces such as car parks, they are easier to identify. Kennel Club Secretary, Caroline Kisko said;“Working with Moto, and their customers, we stand a real chance of stopping some of this irresponsible selling, whilst raising awareness of this cruel and illegal activity. At the same time we can highlight the problems that often result from buying a puppy in a car park.”
It is vital that the Kennel Club investigates the trade in puppies taking place in car parks, because although the law on puppy farming is sometimes poorly enforced due to the ‘underground’ nature of the trade, enforcement officers have agreed to investigate ‘hot spots’ and prosecute offenders.
This is exactly why the Kennel Club needs the help of the public – if you see anything suspicious at all please contact Holly Lee, Public Affairs Officer at the Kennel Club on 020 7518 1020 or email holly.lee@the-kennel-club.org.uk
Anyone tempted to purchase a puppy from a seller at a service station should think again. Buying a puppy this way encourages those who breed for profit to go on and breed more. It is not ‘saving’ the puppies from the unscrupulous seller, but encouraging the malpractice, which means that more dogs will be made to suffer at their hands.
Anyone wishing to buy a puppy should visit the Kennel Club’s website for a list of breeders in various locations across the UK. Potential buyers should also look for members of the Accredited Breeder Scheme, all of whom meet the highest standards. For further information please visit www.thekennelclub.org.uk and click on ‘Buying a Dog’.
The Kennel Club greatly appreciates the support of Moto and their customers with this important dog welfare issue. The Kennel Club aims to make a difference for dogs in many different ways.
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- Responsible Dog Breeding, Puppy, Dog Health and DNA
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