MINISTERS are to introduce legislation to help combat a lucrative trade in pedigree puppies, writes Kathleen Nutt.

Crime gangs with links to loyalists in Northern Ireland are transporting hundreds of young dogs a week into Scotland on ferries from Belfast to Stranraer and Cairnryan.

The animals, which sell for hundreds of pounds each, are often bred and transported in appalling conditions. Many of them die a few weeks after being sold.

Under new regulations expected to come into force next year all dog dealers in Scotland, including those buying dogs from puppy farms in Northern Ireland and the Irish republic, will be required to have a licence.

The licences, which are expected to cost several hundred pounds, will mean the dealers must be registered with a local authority and have their premises inspected by animal health officers.

The pups will also have to be at least eight weeks old and fully weaned, unless they are sold with their mothers. They will also have to be checked by a vet and the dealers must have documents to say the dog is in full health.

Animal rights campaigners have welcomed the legislation, based on a private member’s bill drawn up by Christine Grahame MSP, an SNP member for the south of Scotland, with support from the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which believes a full ban on pups coming into Scotland from across the Irish Sea is necessary.

Ross Minett, the director of Advocates for Animals, said: “While we welcome moves that will help to tackle and reduce the import of farmed puppies into Scotland, we believe an outright ban is the only acceptable solution.

“This will be much simpler to enforce than complicated new regulations and send a clear message to breeders and importers that Scotland will not tolerate this kind of unnecessary suffering in the name of profit.”

The Ulster Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (USPCA) has recently uncovered puppy farms in Northern Ireland and suspects that paramilitaries have become involved in the trade because of the sums involved, with dealers often making between £50,000 and £100,000 a year.

Breeders in Northern Ireland and the Irish republic often own up to 60 bitches, each producing 15-20 puppies a year. A bull mastiff puppy can fetch £800, a St Bernard £600 and a West Highland terrier £300.

David Wilson, a spokesman for the USPCA, welcomed the legislation, but added that people needed to be vigilant when they bought pups.

“Criminal elements are becoming involved in setting up puppy farms in Northern Ireland. We and the police suspect some have links to loyalist paramilitaries,” he said. “People buying a dog need to be patient, find a proper recognised dealer and see the pup with its mother.”

Caroline Kisko, the secretary of the Kennel Club, said: “We welcome these regulations in Scotland, which we hope will push up welfare standards among dog breeders and dealers. We don’t think they will lead to an increase in the price of puppies, as normally there is an agreed cost for each breed.

“The Kennel Club runs an accredited breeders scheme, which is our response to puppy farms.”

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