MAY 2026

Written By Ann Sancez

Nothing has changed… and that’s the most frustrating part.

Despite years of campaigns, education, and public awareness around buying puppies responsibly, illegal breeding continues—and dogs are still suffering. We are still seeing poor breeding practices. Still reporting cases. Still raising concerns with councils. And yet, prosecutions remain shockingly low. Underfunded enforcement teams and legal loopholes are allowing this cruelty to carry on unchecked.

Meanwhile, new puppy-selling WhatsApp groups are appearing every single day across the UK and Ireland. The scale of it is overwhelming—and impossible to keep up with. Only around 15–20% of puppies are bought from reputable breeders, while 22% bought online or unseen fall sick or die before their first birthday.
How is this still happening?

Lucy’s Law was meant to protect puppies—but it is being openly bypassed. Dealers simply hide behind “home bred” claims, selling from residential addresses and misleading buyers. The law is there—but without enforcement, it means very little.

Scottish SPCA – 27/01/26 – Ayrshire couple ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work for failing to provide veterinary care to over 30 dogs

Behind the scenes, the reality is heart-breaking. Court cases continue to expose dogs and puppies kept in filthy, faeces-covered cages—some already dead when found. Breeding dogs overused, neglected, and forgotten. This is the truth buyers don’t see.

And now, it’s getting even harder to spot.
AI-generated images are being used to create fake, “perfect” adverts—puppies and mothers that don’t even exist. Clean homes. Happy scenes. All designed to hide the suffering.

🚩 Red flags to watch for:

  • No in-person visits allowed

  • Pressure for quick deposits

  • Puppies “ready now”

  • No vet details provided

Demand—especially for crossbreeds—is still driving this cruelty.

The Government has an Animal Welfare Strategy to include a crackdown on puppy farming which was introduced in December 2025—but where is the impact? Where is the change?

Because from where we stand… nothing feels different.

Please don’t buy blindly. Always see the puppy with its mother. Walk away if something doesn’t feel right and report it.

#JusticeForReggie #StopPuppyFarming #AdoptDontShop #AnimalWelfare #DogRescue #EndAnimalCruelty

https://share.google/fw9znSrQObdZMe9IA

https://www.rspca.org.uk/whatwedo/endcruelty/investigatingcruelty/organised/puppy/puppyfarming

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Ann Sancez
Next

April 2026