Campaign launched to stop "ahorrent and heartbreaking" trade in pets

Defra’s Petfished campaign is urging prospective pet owners to be vigilant and look out for the red flags which may mean an puppy or kitten has been intensively farmed.

Animals bought from low welfare breeders who run puppy and kitten farms, can cost pet owners thousands of pounds in vets bills and in the most severe cases, result in a pet being euthanised.

Defra said new figures had found buying a pet which has been farmed could cost owners an extra £5,000 in vet bills over 12 months.

More than half the vets surveyed said the poor condition of puppy or kitten farms can lead to illnesses and complications, resulting in treatment costs of more than £1,500 in the first year, rising to £5,000 or even euthanasia in the worst cases.

Government adviser branded "completely out of touch" for claim Britain does not need farmersWest Yorkshire patients confirmed among latest coronavirus casesThe Petfished campaign, named to reflect the deceitful tactics sellers use, outlines four simple steps prospective pet owners can take to research who they are buying from.

RSPCA Inspector Callum Issit who appears in the campaign said there is always been a high consumer demand for puppies and kittens.

“Sadly there are people out there who try and meet this demand by prioritising quick cash profits at the expense of animal welfare.

“Puppy farming in particular is a disturbing industrial-scale attempt to meet this demand and the low-welfare conditions and animal illnesses this leads to are distressing.”

The campaign, which offers advice, including getting contact details and checking an animal’s age, comes ahead of the new Lucy’s Law which will be in force from April 6. The law, named after a spaniel used on a puppy farm, will ban commercial third party sales of puppies and kittens.

Animal Welfare Minister, Lord Goldsmith said Lucy’s Law is a crucial piece of legislation that will help tackle the “abhorrent and heart-breaking trade of pets”.

“The animals reared on puppy farms are often in awful conditions. This simply has to stop and the public can do its bit to help.”

The four red flags are:

Research: Have a look at the seller’s profile and search their name online. If they are advertising many litters from different breeds, then this is a red flag.

Check contact details: Copy and paste the phone number into a search engine. If the number is being used on lots of different adverts, sites and dates then this is likely a deceitful seller.

Check the animal’s age: Puppies and kittens should never be sold under eight weeks old – do not buy from anyone advertising a puppy or kitten younger than eight weeks.

Check the animal’s health records: Make sure the seller shares all records of vaccinations, flea and worm treatment and microchipping with you before sale.

For more details go to getyourpetsafely.campaign.gov.uk