Animal rescuer calls for stronger dog breeding legislation amid abandonment ‘crisis’

Stephen Price

A volunteer at an animal rescue charity has shared harrowing details of some of the ‘designer’ dog breeds coming into their care, calling on the Welsh Government to toughen legislation and for the public to think twice about buying from backyard breeders.

Liane Webber lives in Carway, near Kidwelly, and volunteers with Pug Life Rescue, formerly known as Muffin Pug Rescue.

Echoing accounts from other rescue centres across Wales, Liane has shared her concern that while kennels are full to bursting point, there is a need for tougher restrictions on breeding “unwanted and unhealthy designer breeds” for “quick and easy money”.

To highlight her concerns, Liane has shared accounts of just some of the cases her charity has seen – cases that are growing in number, with little repercussion to ‘backyard breeders’ who sell their dogs through social media and sites such as Gumtree.

One recent case involved two white pugs Eira and Megan who were rescued from appalling conditions, kept caged in their own mess, their paws suffering urine burns.

Infestations

Liane told Nation.Cymru: “The poor girls’ little tummies were so full of worms that my vet said they would not survive the weekend.

“Over the three days I slept in our dining room with them and nursed them back to health. All the worms came out and they finally had nourishment getting into them.”

She said: “Their bellies were huge and warm feeling and full of worms. Over 3 days, 20 worms came out of Eira and 16 from Megan.”

During lockdown, the country saw an increase in backstreet breeders, responding to a growing market for dogs whose owners were able to enjoy working from home and furlough.

Liane said: “It was quick money because they saw that people wanted dogs and they filled the websites like Pets 4 Homes and Gumtree with cheap puppies.

“We had a lot of pups into the charity that were sickly and dying. One of our rescuers met a woman in a car park and she handed over a pug that was so ill it died shortly afterwards.

“The private number plate’s Mercedes shows how much cash these people are making from bad breeding practices.”

“Relentless”

Liane said that the cases are ‘relentless’, and charities are finding the situation increasingly difficult as many conditions and breed-specific complaints are coming to light years down the line resulting in greater care needs and costs for owners.

Liane shared: “My first rescue pug Cupcake was the first to be rescued when we worked under the name of MuffinPug Rescue. She was sold with a prolapsed womb and a broken jaw.

“So many breeders aren’t carrying out necessary checks or don’t have the knowledge required to care for pregnant dogs and young puppies.

“We’re seeing so many flat-faced dogs appear at the rescue with breathing issues, spinal issues, skin conditions. The poor things have a life of misery.”

Law changes

Like many in her sector, Liane feels there should be much stricter laws on dog breeding. She told Nation.Cymru: “I absolutely think there should be strict laws on breeding. But people need educating too.

“So many people buy puppies because they think an older unwanted dog isn’t for them. Why? Because they either want a young dog so it can grow up with the children, or vanity. They see an adopted dog as second best and not for them.

“The Welsh Government needs to act on unlicensed breeding. All anyone has to do is search these websites and seek out the back street breeders.

“Breeders also need to be taxed on this income, maybe then that will stop the illegal practice. Benefits agencies need to do the same.

“There is no need to breed any more dogs until shelters and rescues are empty.”

Whilst Liane feels there are lots of responsible breeders in this country keeping rare breeds and working dogs alive, she feels there is simply no call for the majority of dog breeding when all breeds are represented in kennels.

She said: “Of course, some breeders also do a lot of research on where their dogs are going. The families that adopt them and the homes they are going to. Some even insist that the dog is neutered or spayed soon after they are in their new homes to stop the temptation of breeding themselves, and to protect the health of female dogs in particular.

“But to buy from a backyard breeder in it for the cash, or a ‘diversifying’ puppy farm is completely unacceptable to me, having witnessed an ongoing cycle of abandoned and unhealthy dogs finding their way to the charity.

“Cross breeding is another thing the Government needs to address. They are mixing dogs with breed problems, magnifying the risk of defected pets. These designer pups that people pay a fortune for a basically mongrels. These poor dogs are often deformed looking and it’s a cruel practice. ”

Advice

Accepting that people will still buy dogs while they are able to,  Liane offered the following advice:

1. Do your homework and don’t just pick any phone number selling pups.

2. Always ask to see the mum of the puppies, do not take any excuse. If they are a genuine breeder, this won’t be a problem. Also ask to see where they sleep.

3. Alarm bells should ring if the dog is freshly washed. This might mean they live in dirty conditions. Also, if you hear numerous dogs barking outside, ask to see them too.

4. Only buy a dog that comes with a complete health check from a vet. You should be give all the paperwork.

5.  When you go to view the puppies, take lots of pictures of the dog. Look for distinctive markings etc. Some less scrupulous breeders will give you a different dog to the one you’ve reserved.

6. Lastly, try and turn up at least an hour early to view the puppy. If the dogs are “family pets” as often advertised, it won’t be a problem. If the dog is in the yard, shed or outhouse, they won’t be ready and you will see where the dog sleeps.

Are you able to afford it, food vets etc.  Will the dog be on its own? Separation issues often cause the puppy to be mischievous and destructive, through no fault of their own. Will you be able to exercise and give the chosen dog everything that breed demands?

“Agony”

Many of the dogs coming into the charity’s care are visibly and mentally suffering, but Liane said the message just isn’t getting through to the public who are taken in by the ‘cute’ features, and their disbelief when their particular one is considered fit and healthy “until it isn’t”.

Liane shared the case she encountered recently. She said: “I collected Lilibet from a young girl in Neyland, Pembroke.

“She looked too young to be living on her own and her house was awful. She then gave me two pugs. One black and one fawn.”

“She said the black one, a girl was a year old and the fawn, a boy was 6 months old.

“Both dogs were so dirty and they smelled horrendous. When I got them home I could see why.

“The black one had no fur on her body just wet, sore skin. She was not only in agony but skinny and really poorly. Neither dog had names so I called her Lilibet after the Queen.

“The little boy, Cosmo well he turned out to be at least four years old. He was so undernourished he looked like a puppy.”

“After considerable time and expense, Lilibet thankfully went to live in Inverness with her forever family.

“It took us 6 months to get her well enough to be adopted. She is a beautiful girl and her family absolutely treasure her.”

“Locked in a shed to die”

Giving another example of a case that has haunted her, Liane said: “Winnie is a classic example of back street breeding.”

Visibly shaken, she said: “The original breeder had been breeding pugs for many years and when he passed away the “business “ was taken over by his son.

“His son had decided that it wasn’t for him so he stopped breeding dogs. The ones he couldn’t get rid of were locked in a shed to die.

“Winnie, her mum and sister were three of those dogs that were lucky enough to be rescued.

“To some, dogs are just income. Nothing more nothing less, they are there to make money and that’s it.”

The methods breeders use to ensure breeding ‘success’ have appalled Liane. She told us: “Some breeders have been found to be practicing the stand method of breeding.

“The bitch is tied to a four legged stand and she is left there for a few hours and multiple dogs breed with her. That way she is guaranteed to be pregnant.

“If this was a human there would be outrage and laws passed, but for a cash cow there is no justice.

“I’ve seen footage of many of these practices and they are burned into my soul.”

Cupcake was sold on with a prolapsed womb and Liane shared that the breeders broke her jawbone when they took her last litter away from her.

Cupcake had 8 litters in her life before coming to the charity. Her teeth stuck out, hinting at her previous treatment and how her jaw healed.

She also lost one eye due to a burst ulcer and eventually lost her other eye 4 years later. She sadly died at nine years of age, but Liane said: “I’m so glad she got to know love and kindness in her final years.

“She was such a gentle soul. A survivor of extreme puppy farming – used then abandoned.

“This is an extreme example of how these people sell on breeding bitches. No care for these dogs, they are just money producing commodities.”

Liane said simply: “Dogs in rescue and kennels have been let down by humans. Not the other way around.

“We cannot keep turning a blind eye and let this crisis carry on. We owe it to these precious, precious souls to do better.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “Our ambition is for all animals in Wales to have a good life and we know ensuring dog breeding establishments are high quality and reputable plays a key role in promoting responsible dog ownership.

“We work closely with the third sector and other organisations on responsible dog breeding and related activities as set out in the Animal Welfare Plan for Wales.”