The battle against rogue breeders

In September, the Kennel Club ran its annual Puppy Awareness Week, about the importance of buying a healthy, well-bred puppy from a responsible breeder, and the heartache and expense that can follow if you don't. Thousands of people engaged with the campaign, including veterinary surgeries, and while awareness about puppy farming appears to be growing, one in four people still source their pups on the internet, pet shops or from free newspaper ads, all outlets that are often used by puppy farmers. Furthermore, half do not see they puppy's breeding environment and one in three do not see the puppy, despite the success of campaigns such as Pup Aid's ‘Where's Mum?’

It seems that while people have some awareness about the perils of puppy farming, they are still not always aware about how easily they could be duped by a puppy farmer and end up being a victim — and owning a victim — of this cruel trade. The reason so many fall victim to the puppy farming trade is that people are able to flout the law and cut corners when it comes to dog breeding and it is increasingly easy for them to make money from these pups, while remaining relatively anonymous.