Cairnryan Puppy Rescue Revisited
In January 2024, 24 puppies were rescued from the low-welfare puppy trade. They were found hidden under a lorry at Cairnryan ferry port in cardboard boxes, without food or water. Now six months on, we're reflecting on the pups' journeys and where they are now.
Our work
Most of the puppies were underweight with faeces matted into the fur of their feet and four had kennel cough. Our vet team in Glasgow did incredibly well to react to two dozen puppies being admitted with short notice. With the help of the whole team, every pup received a full nose-to-tail health check, including faecal testing, which found them to be infested with protozoal parasites and round worms. All were treated with antiparasitic treatment (fleas, worm, mites, etc.) and six of the pups were found to have live ear mites so they received ear drops on top of this.
After the pups had received their health check and treatment, the centre split the pups over three rooms to make it easier for cleaning and to give them more space. They were given ongoing vet treatment over the following days which was no easy feat to administer as they all looked very similar! The pups were carrying an infection that could have infected the team so they had to wear full PPE when caring for them. All of the pups were fed multiple times a day and they were given lots of TLC.
Prosecution Results
Understandably, there will be questions surrounding legal action taken with responsible parties however, this case is still ongoing. Our team are working hard behind the scenes to prepare the case to get the best result possible in our bid to tackle the low-welfare puppy trade.
Where are the pups now?
We're incredibly happy to report that all 24 puppies survived and all have went on to be rehomed. We took this opportunity to catch up with a few of them, six months on:
Piper
Our vet team detected that Piper had a loud heart murmur during her first health check. This was re-checked and she was then referred to CrumPets for a further scan and subsequent surgery. Piper's diagnosis and operation was conducted by Dr Chris Parratt free of charge at CrumPets and aftercare was provided free of change at his partner practice, Emergency Vets Glasgow. They perform this operation in puppies 3-5 times per year and are one of the few centres in Scotland that can offer this procedure. Without treatment, most puppies die due to heart failure within one year of age. In Piper's case, they were able to operate soon after diagnosis and before permanent damage had been done to her heart. Follow-up examinations and an ultrasound scan revealed that the operation has been a complete success!
Fast forward six months and Piper, now called Skye, is truly living her best life with Jemma and Ryan from Linlithgow and their three sons: Finlay (13), Lochlan (11) and Brodie (9). Jemma says that Skye has settled in really well and the whole family absolutely adore her. They're finding they're going on more walks now, including trips to the beach and stopping into cafes for doggy ice creams, and the boys have loved teaching Skye new tricks such as sit, come, catch treats and give paw. Skye has loads of new doggy friends who she has regular play dates with. We were thrilled to hear that when Jemma took Skye for a check-up at their vets, they said that she was in full health and her heart was functioning fine, thanks to the collaborative work carried out by our team and CrumPets.
We shared this heart-warming update with CrumPets:
"It has been several months since Skye's operation, and we are overjoyed to hear that she is thriving. Skye's resilience and the exceptional teamwork between CrumPets Vet Clinical Support and Emergency Vets Glasgow have made it possible for her to enjoy a normal, healthy life.
We are deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to make such a significant impact on Skye's life. Her journey is a testament to what can be achieved when we come together with a shared purpose and dedication to animal welfare.
Thank you to the SSPCA for rescuing Skye and for entrusting us with her care. We look forward to seeing Skye flourish and live her life to the fullest."
Dr Chris Parratt MRCVS, CrumPets Vet Clinical Support & Emergency Vets Glasgow
Indie
Indie was found a home with Sharon and Craig. They chose to name him Indie after Indiana Jones and the adventures that they have planned as a family. Sharon gave the heart-warming update that "Indie has bounced in to our lives and stole our hearts. My hubby and I were very fortunate to be given the opportunity to adopt Indie and he came home with us in February. He has settled in so well and is such a lovely natured little furball. He loves his snuggles and is very sociable with both humans and other 4-legged friends. He is massively spoilt and showered in love and kisses."
Indie has been cheering on the side lines at a couple of our fundraising events including the Edinburgh Marathon and the Falkirk Wheel whilst sporting his Scottish SPCA bandana.
Sharon added, "I feel very honoured to be a part of his life and can't thank all of the team enough for all of your hard work, dedication, and love that you pour in to your roles. My role is to make sure that I honour you and let Indie live his best life."
Cora
Cora was found a home with Debbie and Alec. Debbie told us that Cora is doing absolutely brilliantly - she has settled in really well to family life. She's ball-obsessed and loves to play with footballs and tennis balls.
Cora has a really good nature, "not an ounce of nastiness" says Debbie and she finds friends wherever she goes - even if some other four-leggeds aren't as keen! Cora is so sociable out on walks that Debbie and Alec have found they're even meeting loads of new people too!
Debbie added that they're so pleased that they got the opportunity to give Cora a home. This was their first time rehoming a dog and they would definitely do it again.
Freddie
Freddie is living his best life with his new family, enjoying lots of walks and trips to the beach. Laura, Kevin and their two sons, Thomas and Harry, gave Freddie a home and he's settled in great.
Laura gave us an update on Freddie, "he has completed our family...with working from home, he is brilliant company. We enjoy lunchtime walks together then evening walks as a family. He absolutely loves the boys and is such a good natured dog. He's very content and loves to sleep. Just a perfect little pup"
Thinking of adopting an animal?
This case is a reminder of the importance of adopting animals from reputable sources. On average, 177 dogs come into our kennels every month*, so your new best friend could be waiting to be rehomed from one of our centres.
However, if rehoming isn't an option for you, please take a look at our advice for purchasing animals.
Our special investigations team work as part of a multi-agency, pet trade taskforce which is dedicated to tackling the low-welfare puppy trade. The only way this trade will disappear, and people stop profiteering at the expense of dogs, is if the public demand it stops.
*From January to June 2024, there was an average of 177.7 dogs unique dog arrivals per month