Action to clamp down on puppy farms in Lewes district

Lewes District Council tonight passed a motion aimed at combating the issue of puppy farming within the district. The motion was proposed and led by Councillor Freddie Hoareau and was supported by Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare and Dr Marc Abraham OBE. The motion focuses on practical actions to mitigate the impact of puppy farming and enhance dog welfare and raise awareness for people getting a new dog. 

The motion includes initiatives such as publishing an updated list of locally licensed dog breeders on the council's website to guide residents towards reputable sources. Additionally, it involves listing DEFRA-registered local animal rescue and rehoming centres and promoting awareness campaigns to educate the public about signs of illegal puppy breeding and responsible purchasing. The motion also urges the revival of the stalled Kept Animals Bill to strengthen measures against puppy farming, pet theft and smuggling.

Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare endorsed the motion, highlighting the effort required to rehabilitate dogs from such environments and emphasising the importance of adopting from credible rescue centres. Dr Marc Abraham OBE, a Sussex-based vet and key figure in the fight against puppy farming, voiced support for the motion, emphasizing the urgency to prevent animal exploitation.

Cllr Freddie Hoareau, Lib Dem District Councillor for Seaford Central said,  “I know from our own rescue dog, Penny, the lifelong emotional scars that puppy farms can leave on our dogs. We should be stopping this trauma and taking any action we can to end these cruel practices. There are far too many heartbreaking stories of mistreatment of animals all with illegal profit feeding off of it.

“I really encourage anyone who would like to get a new dog to follow the steps recommended by the RSPCA and Raystede, so that we can all play a part in ending this unnecessary and cruel practice.”

Cllr Christina Bristow, Lib Dem District Councillor for Seaford West said, I am very pleased that we as a Council have undertaken to play a leading part in the District to promote awareness of how to buy a kitten or puppy responsibly. In doing so we are helping to bring the Law into action in our District and thwart the efforts of criminal elements who seek to exploit the breeding of animals, whilst maximising the chances of a happy and successful introduction of a puppy or kitten into our residents’ lives.”

Dr Marc Abraham OBE, veterinary surgeon at The Mewes Vets in Rottingdean says, "When buying a puppy or kitten, since 2020 it's the law (called Lucy's Law) that you should always see them interacting with their mother in the place they were born. If mum isn't there, or you suspect a fake mum, or there's anything else that doesn't feel right, then make a note of the contact details and location of the seller, and report them to your local council immediately. Also, always be suspicious of anyone breeding or selling puppies or kittens around Christmas time. So when thinking about choosing your new four-legged best friend, why not make your New Year's Resolution to visit a responsible breeder, or better still, consider adopting or fostering from your local animal shelter instead." 

Text of the motion

Pre-amble

Puppy Farms, in which dogs are bred purely for profit with little concern for their welfare, are cruel and inhumane. They are often run illegally without the correct licensing and monitoring from the local council. Dogs on puppy farms are more likely to be over-bred, kept in poor conditions and not receive adequate food or vet care. Research from the Naturewatch Foundation estimates that 400,000 farmed puppies are bought every year in the UK.

There have been efforts to crack down on illegal puppy farms, such as the introduction of ‘Lucy’s Law in 2020’ banning the third-party sale of puppies in the first 6 months of their life. It is disappointing that the Conservative Government decided in May 2023 to break its promise to introduce a ‘Kept Animals Bill’ which would add further protections to prevent dogs from being exploited on puppy farms. This bill would have taken steps to limit international puppy smuggling, which would have an impact on UK ports, such as in Newhaven.

The Council has the responsibility to provide licenses to all dog breeders who sell

puppies for a profit, and it could play a role in helping make sure those wishing to

buy puppies do so from reputable, licensed breeders.

Motion

The Council therefore resolves to:

• Publish an up to date list of locally licensed dog breeders on its website so local

residents who wish to buy a puppy are signposted to reputable breeders.

• Publish a list of DEFRA-registered local animal rescue and rehoming centres so

that prospective adopters are signposted to reputable rehoming centres in the

District.

• Promote publicity campaigns to raise awareness of illegal puppy breeding and

signs to look for when buying a puppy that suggest it might come from a puppy

farm, and how to report suspicious activity, and promote guidance on how to buy

a puppy responsibly.

• Request the Leader to write to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and

Rural Affairs calling for the Kept Animals Bill to be revived to make it more difficult

for puppy farmers and smugglers to operate.

Statement from Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare

Raystede supports the motion on puppy farms proposed by Councillor Hoareau.

As a local animal welfare charity covering East and West Sussex, the centre sees first-hand the impact on dogs used by or bred at puppy farms. Rescue centres like Raystede have to spend a lot of time, care and money on nursing these dogs back to health – not only physically, but mentally and emotionally – before finding them a new home.

With so many dogs needing loving homes, Raystede advocates that rescue pets are best. The adoption process is robust with Raystede taking the utmost care to ensure that the new home is a perfect match for both the animal and the adopter. As well as often being cheaper than buying a dog elsewhere, adopting from a rescue centre like Raystede comes with a whole package of support including ensuring that the animal is neutered, has had a full medical health and behavioural check, is vaccinated, microchipped and also has four weeks of pet insurance. Once the dog has been adopted, Raystede’s support doesn’t stop there. There is follow-up help and advice and lifetime support from Raystede’s expert animal care teams. Furthermore, if the adopter’s circumstances change or the adoption doesn’t work out, Raystede will take back the dog and find a new home for it.

As well as rehoming, Raystede’s mission is to educate about animal welfare and how to care for them. The charity runs regular adoption workshops for people who haven’t yet adopted, which includes a section on puppy farming, warning people what to look out for. Raystede’s Education Team also runs regular free pop-up pet advice sessions in the local community advising people not just about caring for their animal but the things they need to think about before taking on the commitment of pet ownership.

Raystede hopes this motion will be supported and put forward.