WATCH: Don't let dodgy dog-dealing thrive in North East, warns SSPCA
Demand fuels supply, says animal welfare charity.
Last updated 21st Jul 2019
Animal abusers from Banff and Macduff are waiting to be punished after causing suffering on a farm near Fyvie.
The Aberdeenshire farm is where Scotland's largest-scale puppy farming operation was shut down when 87-mistreated dogs were seized by the SSPCA.
Now the charity SSPCA are warning us not to help another puppy farming operation start up in the North East over fears the dodgy dog-dealing could thrive in the North East.
Convicted criminals 53-year-old Frank James and 29-year-old Michelle Wood will be sentenced at a later date.
The pair were found guilty on Friday of causing unnecessary suffering to dogs, ferrets and rabbits.
The SSPCA said its special investigations unit, along with police, raided the "absolutely disgraceful" East Mains of Ardlogie Farm in November 2017.
That's where 105 animals were taken into care and treated at rehabilitation centres at a cost of almost half a million pounds.
"We found a burnt-out van which had dog carcasses within, suggesting this was a means of disposing of dead pups" - SSPCA INVESTIGATOR
An undercover investigator for the Scottish SPCA told Northsound News: "We believe this was the largest scale puppy farming operation in Scotland.
"The conditions these dogs were being kept in were absolutely disgraceful.
"It fell far below the minimum standard in terms of animal welfare and, given the environment and sheer volume of puppies, it was immediately evident these were not being kept as pets and the premises was effectively a battery farm for pups.
"Our investigation revealed dogs on site were being intensively bred with little to no regard for their welfare.
"On site, we found a burnt-out van which had dog carcasses within, suggesting this was a means of disposing of dead pups."
All of the surviving animals have been rehomed, following a successful civil action before the court case concluded, the charity said.
Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn added: "In our centres, care costs an average of £15 per dog a day, so picking up the pieces from breeders who prioritise profit over welfare puts a massive strain on our resources.
"Thankfully, the decision to pursue a civil action in this instance means many of these animals found their forever homes long ago."
He added: "The quickest way to halt the supply of illegally bred pups is for public demand to fall.''
Sign the #SayNoToPuppyDealers pledge:
Earlier this year minister Mairi Gougeon spoke of Scottish Government measures to crack-down on dodgy dog-selling.
WATCH: She told Holyrood back in January that a campaign caused 130-per-cent more people to seek advice...