Today, 6th April, Lucy’s Law comes into force. This ground-breaking piece of legislation will mean that as of today it is a criminal offence to sell puppies or kittens from a third party commercial dealer, such as a pet shop.

Lucy’s Law means anyone buying a puppy or kitten less than six months old, by law, must purchase them directly from the breeder. This is a crucial step in the fight against puppy farming and illegal dealing. It will mean ALL breeders are now accountable, as the conditions they breed in may be open to public scrutiny. Inevitably this will drive people towards rescue organisations to adopt a new four-legged friend. FOUR PAWS has stood alongside many NGOs in calling for more traceability in the origins of puppies and it is hoped that this law will take us one step closer to this becoming a reality.

We have campaigned for over 15 years about the prevalence of illegally smuggled puppies and it is hoped that Lucy’s Law could be the first step towards ending this incredibly lucrative, but cruel, trade. Just last month our teams intercepted an illegal sale of two Beagle puppies. These young pups were discovered in Germany but paperwork revealed they had been born in Romania and were just eight weeks old. Being torn away from their mothers and travelling long distances at such a young age is sadly not a rare case within the puppy smuggling world.

It is hoped that Lucy’s Law will be the first step toward regulating online puppy sales and save thousands of dogs being separated from their mothers and made to endure horrendous conditions whilst they are moved across Europe and the UK.

Thank you for being a part of this campaign success, and we look forward to celebrating even more achievements for our beloved companion animals in the near future!

Read more about the trade that led to the creation of Lucy’s Law here.