Groups look to tighten 'puppy mill' laws

  • Breaking
  • 25/05/2013

Animal welfare groups are fighting to change puppy breeding laws after 11 pet store puppies raised in an alleged "battery farm" died this month.

The puppies, who were on sale at The Pet Centre stores in Lower Hutt, Porirua and Upper Hutt, were all supplied by the same large-scale breeder, reports Fairfax Media.

The SPCA says it has visited the pet shops to investigate, and is concerned puppies younger than eight weeks old are being sold. Animal welfare guidelines recommend puppies are eight weeks or older before being put on sale and separated from their mothers.

"It is concerning that potentially puppies right on the limit of eight weeks are being sold," says Wellington SPCA animal inspector Ben Lakomy.

The puppies reportedly come from a commercial breeder on Gladstone Rd in rural Levin – a 200-square-metre barn. The puppies are sold for up to $1000 each.

The 11 puppies that died included miniature dachshunds, poodle crosses, pug crosses and a Japanese spitz, which had suffered hypoglycaemia, giardia and canine parvovirus, which is particularly lethal for young puppies.

Animal welfare charity Huha (Helping You Help Animals) representative Carolyn Press-McKenzie says the Levin breeding facility is a "battery farm" or "puppy mill".

"When you've got that many animals, you can't realistically give each individual the time or care it really needs to be socialised," she says. "It doesn't have that family environment.

"It might be cleanish and tidyish, so there's nothing that local authority or the SPCA could do. But morally, it's heartbreaking."

The property is run by veterinary nurse Julie Poulton, who says she is an experienced and respected breeder.

"I meet 'recommended best practice' according to the Animal Code of Welfare 2010," says Ms Poulton.

Her property holds about 100 dogs who are three months or older, and is registered with the Horowhenua District Council. Dogs do not have to be registered until three months old, so a large number of Ms Poulton's litters are sold unregistered.

Ms Poulton says she is saddened to hear of the puppy deaths.

"Nobody likes it when animals die, and it must be a terrible tragedy for anyone involved," she says.

Ms Press-McKenzie says the puppy breeding laws need to be tightened. Her group launched the Stop Breeding Puppies to Death campaign last week.

"Everything the breeders do is legal," says Ms Press-McKenzie. "They give them water, food and shelter, but we actually want to make them accountable for the animals' welfare."

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