Updated AN ANIMAL charity is to prosecute three people for allegedly selling puppies without a licence. Animal Protection Services says it has investigated the illegal puppy trade across the country. The charity says it has found some sellers in Brighton giving a false impression that they are legally entitled to sell animals. The Covid lockdowns have increased the demand for new pets and driven up the supply of puppies for sale. It has led to unlicensed breeders seeking to exploit the situation, the charity says. Animal Protection Services said: During the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, demand for puppies as pets has increased inciting the involvement of unlicensed breeders.