Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home warns about online puppy sales

The Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home is warning against the online sale of puppies, as the numbers of those taken in at the city hub has jumped.

The centre, based in Seafield, has been forced to take in nearly 2,000 animals so far this year. Many of them are a result of illegal puppy breeding and sales.

This means a large number of the dogs and puppies taken in deal with various health issues.

Director Lindsay Fyffe-Jardine says: "We are seeing the impact of puppy trading, puppy farming and backdoor breeding. Those dogs are coming in to us, maybe a little older than the puppy stage, some of the issues in their breeding practice have come up at that point. They may be health problems or behaviour problems with the way they've been brought up.

"Online buying, who doesn't do it anymore? That's where dogs and cats come in, people are alot more likely to look online first than go and see one in person. We're definitely seeing the impact of that."