PUP RAP
Coronavirus Scotland: Puppy farm dealer snared at Scots port with 13 tiny pups as one dog put to sleep
by Jonathan WhitelawA PUPPY farm dealer was snared at a Scottish port with 13 tiny pups - with one of the dogs having to be put down.
Now bosses at the Scottish SPCA are urging the public not to buy animals online.
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Officers from the charity's special investigations unit swooped on Cairnryan port last weekend.
And they caught one dealer who was travelling from Ireland with 13 dogs of various breeds.
SSPCA chiefs say that the pups were just a few weeks old.
Two of the dogs were rushed for emergency vet treatment for respiratory issues.
And while one of the puppies recovered, the other was put down.
Charity bosses say that activity at the port has been quiet during the coronavirus lockdown.
But they believe that puppy traders might be trying to move animals again as they hope to sell them to unsuspecting punters.
Chief superintendent Mike Flynn said: “The lockdown initially led to a dramatic decrease in activity in the puppy trade.
"However, we have been keeping a close eye on things and we are concerned traders and dealers are becoming more active again, even more so now lockdown restrictions have eased slightly in Scotland.”
“We cannot stress this enough: the supply for badly-bred puppies will only disappear if public demand stops. Every year, thousands of pups are dying alone and in pain, at just days or weeks old, to fuel the trade. We will continue to fight the puppy trade every step of the way, but we need each and every person to do their bit to help us stop it.
“Many responsible breeders put a hold on breeding during the pandemic, but we are aware of some breeders ramping up prices due to lack of supply. This could drive people to buy a puppy without doing their homework on where they are getting it from.”
“There are thousands of adverts on websites like Gumtree for puppies, but there is no guarantee you are buying from a responsible breeder when you shop online. Many dealers will use false names and phone numbers to sell a dog, making it impossible for a buyer to get a hold of them when the pup falls ill.”
The Scottish SPCA has been on the frontline of animal rescue throughout the pandemic, continuing to attend to urgent reports of animals in need.
Since March 23, the Society’s inspectors and animal rescue officers have dealt with over 10,000 reports of animals in need.