The Scottish SPCA has seized 13 puppies from an illegal dealer at Port Cairnryan.

The society’s special investigations unit caught individuals travelling from Ireland illegally transporting 13 puppies of different breeds only a few weeks old.

The puppies are now receiving 24 hour care from the SSPCA, though two of the puppies required emergency vet care, and one tragically, had to be put down due to respiratory issues.

The puppies were being transported illegally into the country

Mike Flynn, chief superintendent for the SSPCA said: “The lockdown initially led to a dramatic decrease in activity in the puppy trade.

“However, we have been keeping a close eye on things and we are concerned traders and dealers are becoming more active again, even more so now lockdown restrictions have eased slightly in Scotland.

“We cannot stress this enough: the supply for badly-bred puppies will only disappear if public demand stops.

“Every year, thousands of pups are dying alone and in pain, at just days or weeks old, to fuel the trade.

“We will continue to fight the puppy trade every step of the way, but we need each and every person to do their bit to help us stop it.

“Many responsible breeders put a hold on breeding during the pandemic, but we are aware of some breeders ramping up prices due to lack of supply.

“This could drive people to buy a puppy without doing their homework on where they are getting it from.

“There are thousands of adverts on websites like Gumtree for puppies, but there is no guarantee you are buying from a responsible breeder when you shop online.

“Many dealers will use false names and phone numbers to sell a dog, making it impossible for a buyer to get a hold of them when the pup falls ill.”

For anyone looking for information on how to purchase a puppy safely, click here.

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13 pups used for puppy farming seized in raid at Scottish port