Ban puppy farms

I believe passionately in the need for stricter controls for the breeding of all animals. For this reason puppy farms or mills should be illegal. What would define a puppy farm or mill? It could be as simple as any place where more than a specified number of breeding bitches are present. This would be decided by discussion which inevitably would probably lead to too high a number.

Any breeder who has more than five breeding bitches is in my opinion a puppy farm. For me that should be limit.

We are often told by legitimate breeders that their purpose in breeding is not financial, but for the dogs and furthering strong pedigree lines. If the former does not apply, then the selective careful breeding should be limited to a minimum number of breeding bitches. Five breeding bitches producing up to 60 puppies a year is way too excessive for me, but I guess that would be a feasible limit to impose.

There is currently no desire to impose such legislation, other than that which is being discussed by the Welsh Assembly. Wales has a particularly problem not least because its great expanses of rural terrain and former farms allow perfect seclusion for the unsavoury savagery of puppy farming.

It is regrettable that today, in 2010 the UK has pet supermarkets and online retailers advertising puppies for sale. Those dumb enough to buy from these sources get what they get in dogs that are likely to have a higher chance of hereditary diseases, disabilities, behavioural problems and even present injuries otherwise hidden from view such as broken or fractured limbs.

It is time for the government to put forward a plan to eliminate these awful places of barbaric practice and in turn further limit the mass production of unwanted dogs.