Locked up in pitch-black, cramped and filthy cages, tiny puppies whimper, prematurely snatched away from their mums at just three or four weeks old.
Appallingly, the newborn pups are cooped up together in disease-ridden cattle sheds, before being sold for up to £3,000 each to unsuspecting families.
OUTRAGE AS NEW PUPPY FARM SET UP IN THE UK TO BREED PUPPIES FOR ANIMAL TESTING
Sadly this is a common scenario on one of the UK’s hundreds of puppy farms – large-scale commercial breeding establishments and the dog equivalent of battery hen farming. Up to 100,000 puppies are bred like this every year. Tragically, because of the horrific conditions, one in five puppy farm dogs will die before they’re six months old, and many new owners can encounter vet bills of up to £4,000 – yet it’s a billion-pound industry, designed purely for maximum profit.
Shockingly, one in three dogs bought in the UK are bred in a dog farm, and the RSPCA has responded to more than 10,000 calls over the past five years concerning the illegal dog trade and breeding.
In a bid to raise awareness, TV vet Marc Abraham, 42, set up PupAid, campaigning to end puppy farming.
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Since then many dog-loving celebrities have showed support for the hard-hitting campaign, including Made In Chelsea’s Lucy Watson, Ricky Gervais and Meg Mathews.
Hearing about the puppies’ plight, ex-TOWIE star and dog owner Amy Childs, 25, also jumped at the chance to back the campaign. The star – who has two dogs, pug Prince and bulldog Leo – says: “When I saw photos of puppies being kept in such appalling conditions, I burst into tears. It’s heartbreaking. I’m passionate about ending animal cruelty. Animals can’t speak up for themselves – so we must. That’s why I’m helping PupAid and doing this article with Closer to raise awareness.
“We need to fight to shut these places down. By doing this together we can save the lives of hundreds of puppies."
Click** here** to view PupAid's website for more details.
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