Puppy farms: Dog lovers who fail to check they are buying from a reputable breeder are part of the problem – Hayley Matthews

It was so sad to see news stories about the £15 million profits raked in by Northern Irish puppy farm gangs in the last year.

Dogs bought from disreputable puppy farms are often unwell after being kept in appalling conditions (Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Of course it's not just Northern Ireland that has puppy farms, they’re everywhere, but the influx of puppies from over the water especially in the run-up to Christmas has been outrageous.

It leaves me gobsmacked that people are so naive to think buying an animal online is a good idea. You should always ask to see the puppy with the mum, especially nursing from her, and see the puppy with the dad too. And get paperwork to ensure you are buying from a reputable breeder, not someone just doing it for the money.

There are thousands of dogs being sold to unsuspecting souls who get left with a sick animal who often passes away, leaving the new owner with a huge vet’s bill.

I'm afraid you're part of the problem if you're not researching the safest way to go about homing a puppy.

Recently I heard a guy say he was driving down to southern England to pay thousands for a puppy! I mean how much more obvious does it have to be that these puppies are being brought over from puppy farms? Do you need to pick them up off the boat to know they've not been brought into the world in the way that you thought?

They live a short hell, are more often than not sick, underweight and have no chance at recovering. So please stop, buying puppies online! If you're a genuine dog lover, you'll not be offended by this and pass it on.

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