New analysis by the animal welfare charity, Naturewatch Foundation, has found that the majority of dogs and puppies in the UK still come from unknown sources, including unlicensed breeders, illegal breeders and other supply routes, such as puppy smuggling. The charity says stricter oversight of the puppy trade is urgently needed.
At the end of last year, Naturewatch Foundation submitted freedom of information requests to 391 councils across the UK and Ireland to update its Dog Breeding Map of the UK and Ireland - a unique tool that helps prospective puppy buyers find out about dog breeding in their area.
The findings reveal that there are 2,897 licensed breeders across the UK and Ireland, collectively keeping around 26,000 female adult dogs for breeding – of which just over 23,000 are kept in the UK. With around one million dogs and puppies joining UK households each year, Naturewatch Foundation estimates that only 15-20%* come from licensed breeders....
