THE people of Crossgates, Hill of Beath and Moss-side are being urged to avoid illegal puppy traders.

Douglas Chapman, MP for Dunfermline and West Fife, which includes the three communities, is supporting the SSPCA’s (Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) latest campaign, Say No To Puppy Dealers.

The campaign seeks to put an end to the illegal puppy trade, which the SSPCA says is a multimillion pound industry fuelled entirely by greed and profit with little to no consideration for the welfare of the dogs they sell.

Research carried out by the University of Edinburgh, in partnership with the SSPCA, revealed that dogs from puppy dealers are far more likely to have increased stress levels, behavioural issues, genetic disorders and show fear towards strangers.

Douglas Chapman said: “I fully support the SSPCA’s latest campaign encouraging the public to only accept a dog from a local re-homing centre or from reputable registered breeders. "It’s essential we bring an end to this illegal practice which causes suffering to thousands of dogs across Scotland.”

SSPCA Chief Superintendent, Mike Flynn, added: “Consumers must play their part and our advice to anyone thinking of taking on a puppy is to firstly consider re-homing a rescue dog. "If someone is buying a puppy they should insist on seeing the pup’s mother and the environment in which the animal has been raised.”

Douglas Chapman has followed a number of SNP colleagues at both Westminster and Holyrood – including the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Roseanna Cunningham – in backing the campaign. The SSPCA’s Head Office is based in Halbeath, in Mr Chapman’s Dunfermline & West Fife constituency.

Find out more on the SSPCA website: https://www.scottishspca.org/newsroom/campaigns/fighting-the-illegal-puppy-trade/