SPCA warn of ‘real cost’ of puppy trade after dying pups found on Lockerbie roadside

An animal welfare charity is warning of the 'real price' of puppy trade after two dying pups were found on the roadside, near Lockerbie.

The Scottish SPCA are urging people not to buy dogs online after the two young spaniels, thought to be four-weeks-old, were abandoned on 4 August. The charity suspect they were born in a low welfare puppy farm.

One of the puppies passed away and the other had to be euthanised under veterinary advice.

The discovery follows recent seizures of dogs by officers from the Society’s special investigations unit (SIU) at the nearby Cairnryan port.

A Scottish SPCA special investigations inspector, who cannot be named due to undercover operations, said, “Due to the circumstances in which these young spaniels were found, we suspect they may have come from the Cairnryan port as part of the illegal puppy trade.

“In the past we have come across similar cases such as this where any puppies who fall ill on the journey are simply discarded and left to die.

“These young dogs were only four weeks old and should have still been with their mother and littermates. Instead they were left to die alone and afraid at the side of the road.

“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 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.”

“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.

“The Scottish SPCA is dedicated to tackling the illegal puppy trade. If anyone has any information regarding the puppy trade, or is concerned they may have purchased a pup from a low welfare breeder, they should call our confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.”