Britain to ban selling puppies, kittens in pet shops in clampdown on illegal breeders

LONDON - Puppies and kittens will not be sold in pet shops across the United Kingdom as part of a British government plan to clamp down on the illegal puppy farming trade, British media reported Wednesday.

Anyone buying or adopting a pet less than six months old will have to deal directly with the breeder or a rescue centre under the proposed ban.

The proposals have gone out to consultation. The move aims to reduce serious health problems and socialization issues which afflict pets kept in poor conditions by unscrupulous, profit-driven breeders.

It comes on the back of the prominent Lucy's Law campaign which calls for an immediate halt to the sale of young pets by third-party commercial dealers.

Lucy was rescued in 2013 at five years old from a Welsh puppy farm. She had a series of health problems, including a curved spine as a result of being kept in a cramped cage, and epilepsy. She died in 2016.

British Environment Secretary Michael Gove paid tribute to the campaign, saying, "A ban on third-party sales will ensure the nation's much-loved pets get the right start in life."

"People who have a complete disregard for pet welfare will no longer be able to profit from this miserable trade," he said.

British Prime Minister Theresa May pledged her commitment to crack down on cruel puppy farms last year in order to end the grisly conditions suffered by animals and also save young animals from health and psychological problems.

The proposed third party sales ban follows other reforms in the British government's drive to bolster animal welfare.

A statement from the British Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs detailed how the ban would mean anyone wanting to buy or adopt a puppy or kitten must either deal directly with the breeder, or with an animal re-homing center.

A petition supporting Lucy's Law has been signed by nearly 150,000 people and was debated in the British Parliament in May.

The consultation took place after a call for evidence on the ban which ran from February to May.

New laws will come into force on Oct 1 banning licensed sellers from dealing in puppies and kittens less than eight weeks old.