January 2026
January 2026: Five Years of Fighting for Reggie – And Every Dog Like Him
Reflecting on the Journey
As we step into 2026, it feels important — necessary, even — to pause and look back at how far we’ve come over the past five years at Justice for Reggie. More than thirty blogs later, thousands of Facebook followers still stand with us, share our posts, and refuse to let Reggie’s story fade. That support has carried us through countless moments of heartbreak, frustration, and hope.
Why We Started
Our journey began with Reggie’s story — a story that should never have happened — and has grown into a movement focused on education, awareness, and change. Over the years, we’ve written about everything from the cruel realities of puppy farming and the red flags to watch for when buying a puppy, to shining a light on the extraordinary work our rescue organisations do behind the scenes. They are unsung heroes, holding the pieces of a broken system together with sheer dedication and love.
Online Animal Sales: Still No Regulation
At the heart of our campaign remains the same plea: online animal sales must be regulated. Every year, we hear from devastated families who unknowingly bought a puppy from a puppy farm, believing they were doing everything right. Some of those puppies never even made it to their first birthday. Those stories are painful to share, but they matter — because silence only protects the people who continue to profit from suffering.
Fake Adverts and Hidden Cruelty
We’ve exposed fake adverts with photos stolen from Google, puppies advertised as “home bred” when really they were being sold out of the back of filthy vans, and listings where the so‑called “mum” was just another dog from the internet. We’ve urged buyers to slow down, ask questions, and insist on seeing pups with their real mother and siblings. Those simple steps can be life changing.
Some adverts have been so disturbing they stay with us. In May 2025, we highlighted a puppy photographed with deep lacerations on its tiny body, looking utterly terrified. That seller was allowed to advertise freely. When reported, the ad simply vanished… only for the seller to reappear under another name, on another site. It’s a cycle that continues because the system allows it to. It couldn’t be clearer: these adverts are going online without a single meaningful check, allowing illegal breeders to operate in plain sight.
Vets Under Pressure
We’ve also spoken out about the growing pressure on vets — a concern brought to the surface in our June 2025 blog and a documentary recently shown on BBC Panorama. Many vets are now working under intense corporate targets, carrying a heavy mental and emotional toll — and the rising costs are pushed onto families who are already struggling to cope.
Cruelty and Abandonment at Record Levels
Against that backdrop, we’re seeing record levels of pet abandonment and cruelty. Children harming animals for entertainment, puppies dumped in boxes or crates — sometimes alongside their mothers. Dogs found taped up and thrown into rivers… others left to die alone and their decaying bodies discarded like rubbish. This is the reality every single day.
Puppy Farms Thriving While Rescues Collapse Under Pressure
Meanwhile, puppy farms across the UK and Ireland continue to thrive. It has never been easier to buy a puppy without understanding what that dog will need — physically, emotionally, financially. A few months later, many of these dogs end up back online, sold again through WhatsApp groups, social media marketplace pages, or anonymous websites. We’ve seen whole litters sold “cheap,” pregnant dogs being moved around like objects, and adverts flashing messages like “ready to pop — make me an offer, needs gone ASAP.”
At the exact moment a mum needs warmth, safety, and calm, she is instead passed from stranger to stranger.
There Is a Better Way
In the Netherlands, children are taught from a young age how to respect dogs — a lesson woven directly into their education system. France has recently moved to include “pet care” in their national curriculum, teaching compassion as a standard, not an afterthought. These are the kinds of steps that build safer communities and reduce cruelty long‑term.
Here in the UK, until we see that same level of commitment, we will keep going.
Our Commitment Moving Forward
We’ll continue to:
🐾 Highlight investigations into puppy farms
🐾 Share stolen dog alerts
🐾 Warn against scams and fraudulent sellers
🐾 Push for meaningful regulation of online sales
🐾 Demand tougher penalties for illegal breeders
🐾 Celebrate and support the incredible rescues saving lives every day
🐾 Give space for owners to share their own stories — because your voices matter
It has been five years of fighting for Reggie, and for every dog like him who deserved better. We won’t stop. Not now. Not ever.
Let’s Be Kind
Let’s be kind — to animals, to each other, and to those working tirelessly on the front line of rescue and welfare. Together, we can change this.