A high demand for dogs during lockdown has driven puppy prices up by more than four or five times their usual value, leading to fears of a surge in the illegal puppy trade, a pets charity has warned.
Illegal breeders have been cashing in on the demand for pandemic puppies, with dog farmers stepping in to fill the supply gap.
Despite the warnings, people are continuing to use social media sites to buy illegally bred puppies without any information about the animal’s background.
Illegal traders have scaled up their operations over the last year, with some puppy farms caging up to 300 dogs and puppies in barns.