The Scottish SPCA has seen many cases of puppies being kept in cramped, dirty conditions.
“The pandemic and public demand for puppies has led to more reports to our animal helpline about unscrupulous dealers who want to make money fast with no regard for animal welfare.
“Now, more than ever, we need to provide assurance for the public that they are buying a puppy from responsible breeders. The general public can view members of the scheme through our ‘Say no to Puppy Dealers’ website and look into buying a puppy safely from them.”
The voluntary scheme is available to any dog breeder in Scotland and is free to join. The Scottish SPCA has developed a framework for responsible breeding and inspectors will assess applications and visit breeding premises annually to make sure high welfare standards are in place.
SSPCA seize over 150 puppies from dangerous dog breeders in one year
The animal welfare charity is urging responsible breeders to join their Assured Puppy Breeder Scheme to combat those trying to profit from demand for puppies.
SSPCA rescued over 150 puppies from illegal farms in 2020 (Image: SSPCA)
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Trading Standards issue Covid-19 vaccine scam warning . (PA) People in Dumbarton and the Vale should be wary of fraudulent messages offering them access to coronavirus vaccinations, trading standards authorities have warned. People are reporting to have received a text message claiming to be from the NHS. It reads: “We have identified that you are eligible to apply for your vaccine. For mor information and to apply, follow here.” The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) said that text messages had been sent out including links to fake NHS websites that asked recipients for bank details, supposedly for verification purposes. Such messages were first reported at the end of December in the Western Isles, but the CTSI says they are “by no means limited to the region”.
Trading Standards Scotland has revealed the top ten scams of the year Criminals have exploited the public health crisis by finding sickening new ways to con the public, according to consumer rights officials. Among the most common scams have been calls or emails informing people they have been in contact with someone with Covid-19 and demanding bank details to pay for a test. Trading Standards Scotland said there had also been a rise in illegal puppy farms as more people sought to buy pets during lockdown, with ‘heartbreaking’ cases of animals purchased then found to have serious illnesses.
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