We have investigated almost 150 cases of illegal puppy trade in the last two years
Now a new hard hitting television advert for our Christmas campaign, is hoping to raise awareness of the cruel trade and raise vital funds.
The chilling ad centres around the real-life rescue of 24 puppies at Cairnryan ferry port in January. These puppies were rescued from the low-welfare puppy trade and were found hidden under a lorry in cardboard boxes, without food or water.
And these puppies are only a small part of a low-welfare puppy dealer scheme who import and sell pups online.
We are funded entirely from donations, and are increasingly called out to rescue large numbers of dogs and puppies from squalid conditions in unsuitable accommodation. Once in our care the dogs often need treatment and rehabilitation over many weeks.
One of the pups, Piper, rescued in January had a loud heart murmur during her first health check with our vet team. 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 had been a complete success.
Piper, now called Skye, is truly living her best life with her new family in Linlithgow. We were thrilled to hear that at Skye’s last check-up she was given a full bill of health, and her heart was functioning fine.
Head of Rescue and Prevention Laura McIntyre says: “We need your help more than ever this Christmas.
“Puppy smuggling is an industry with direct links to organised crime, worth an estimated £13 million every year to Scotland. Puppies are treated like a commodity, bred in huge numbers with no regard for their welfare. The conditions in which they are born can lead to serious medical and behavioural issues and, in many instances, death at just a few weeks old.
“Ultimately, we want to see an end to puppy smuggling once and for all, and the only real chance of doing this is to close down the demand so it’s vital that people know the warning signs to look for and report anything suspicious to us.”
Kirsteen Campbell, Scottish SPCA chief executive, said:
“The desperate fact is that animals have never needed us more and our amazing frontline teams are seeing increasingly complicated cases, from the horrors of puppy farming by unscrupulous breeders to the long impact of the cost of living crisis and mental health crisis leading to unintentional neglect by well-meaning owners.
“All of this increases the demand for space in our rescue centres at a time when the cost of providing care for these animals is also on the increase.
“We need support like never before so that we can continue to be there for animals in these crisis situations.
Our new campaign will appear on STV during This Morning from Wednesday 13th November onwards and urges the public to donate this Christmas to be part of the rescue and support our vital work.
If you would like to donate to our winter appeal, you can donate at www.scottishspca.org or by calling 0800 160 1758.
