Today Dogs Trust launched their new battery farmed dogs campaign, against puppy farming.

"Our campaign against the battery farming of dogs highlights the fact that the UK dog-owning public is being duped into buying dogs from puppy farms, inadvertently fuelling the cruel trade and potentially landing themselves with huge vet bills" say Dogs Trust. In a recent survey, Dogs Trust asked dog owners if they would consider buying a dog from a puppy farm. Although almost 95% said no, when asked where they had got their dog from 15.1% - potentially 900,000 dog owners – admitted they had got them from an advert in the newspaper, the

In the past six months Dogs Trust say they have seen a marked increase in calls from concerned dog owners whose pets have suffered illness and in some cases died as a result of having been bred at puppy farms.

Dogs Trust introduced the term ‘battery farming of dogs’ to associate the practice with the battery farming of chickens. They want dog lovers to be informed about how to find a 'cruelty-free dog'. If you are interested in buying a dog and are worried about how to tell the difference between a reputable breeder and a puppy farm, please read Dogs Trusts Buying a Dog section.

Dogs Trust are also calling on the Government and Local Authorities to review existing breeding licensing legislation.

Breeding bitches at battery farms:
- Are kept in small pens without natural daylight or contact with other dogs
- Suffer the mental cruelty of having little contact with people and having no space to exercise or opportunity to play
- Are bred from continuously in these conditions until they are too old, then discarded

A battery farmed puppy could have genetic or other health problems relating to its poor breeding conditions. It could also have behavioural problems as a result of being taken from its mother at too young an age.

Find out more about the health problems associated with battery farmed puppies

What You Can Do To Help
Dogs Trust are asking people to tell them about their experiences and write to their Local Authority about suspicious vendors. Please read more about this in their Support the Campaign section.

Celebrity Support
Celebrity supporters have come out in force to say ‘NO’ to the battery farming of dogs Celebrity support for the Battery Farmed Dogs Campaign.