A Welsh rescue centre has had 45 puppies and dogs signed over to its care after a raid of an illegal breeder's premises. Initially the rescue welcomed 27 puppies and dogs but it was soon discovered that some were pregnant and the intake number almost doubled following the births.
The animals arrived at Hope Rescue dirty and with matted fur with some struggling to see or walk due to the conditions they had been raised in. Several of these dogs were pregnant with one dog named Custard Cream in such terrible condition that giving birth could have endangered the life of both her and her litter meaning she had to have a C-section.
Sara Rosser, Hope Rescue’s head of welfare, said the condition of the dogs was among the worst she’d seen. She said: “You never know what you’re walking into when you’re asked to come and collect dogs but the conditions we came up against during this rescue were absolutely terrible and unacceptable. The dogs were in an awful state; their fur matted and caked in dirt, some to the point of not being able to see or walk comfortably.”
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The rescue centre was contacted by a local authority and the regional trading standards investigation team and the dogs were signed over to Hope Rescue following an initial court case. A centre spokesman added: "It’s important to recognise that this breeder was not operating a puppy farm hidden away in west Wales. They lived and operated from a residential property in an urban area of south Wales. An illegal breeder operating in plain sight like this highlights the importance of asking the right questions and making all the relevant checks on a breeder when buying a dog."
Work has begun to prepare the 45 dogs and puppies for their new homes which includes "hours of grooming and vet checks" as well as neutering and spaying the animals to protect them from being used for illegal breeding purposes again. The charity has estimated this will cost around £15,000 on top of their existing bills.
If you would like to help Hope Rescue meet the demands of these health checks, then follow the link here to find out how to donate. For more information about buying a puppy from a safe breeder check out the RSPCA guidelines here.
