South Scotland MSP Emma Harper has raised a motion in the Scottish Parliament to commend the Scottish SPCA – Scotland’s leading animal welfare charity – for the invaluable work which they have continued to carry out over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the motion which has achieved cross party support, the South Scotland MSP also raised concern over a recent incident of illegal puppy trafficking through the Port of Cairnryan. The incident led to one of puppies having to be euthanised, and others had to receive substantial veterinary care.
The message from Ms Harper, the Scottish Government and the Scottish SPCA is clear. If anyone is looking to obtain a puppy they should always first see it with its mum at the owner’s house, and if there is anything suspicious then they should walk away and report the incident to the Scottish SPCA.
Commenting, Ms Harper said:
“Since my election, I have actively campaigned on animal welfare issues and have led several debates and lodged many questions in Parliament on illegal puppy trafficking. Every December, I also sponsor the ‘Say No to Illegal Puppy Trafficking’ photo call in the parliament’s Garden Lobby where MSPs show their support for the cause.
“The Scottish SPCA have done a fabulous job over the course of lockdown in ensuring the welfare of Scotland’s animals – preventing offences, investigating concerns and supporting stray and unwanted animals. I therefore, wanted to put a motion to Parliament to raise awareness of this important work and to encourage those who can support the Scottish SPCA as it is expected that they will lose 20% of their income over the course of lockdown.
“I am concerned to hear, even over the course of lockdown, that there has still been an attempt to traffic puppies illegally through Cairnryan Port, but I am pleased that the authorities – including the Scottish SPCA – were able to intercept those responsible and care for the puppies. I remind everyone looking for a puppy to see it with its mum and to report anything that is at all suspicious”.
Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said;
“The support of Emma Harper MSP is invaluable to raise awareness of this barbaric trade and to help discourage members of the public from buying puppies from an illegal dealer.
“We are pleased to say that we have found loving homes for 12 of the puppies seized at Cairnryan. Sadly, the other was put to sleep on health grounds.
“In many cases, the majority of the puppies are not so lucky as many health issues can arise from being bred for profit. There is little or no consideration for the welfare of the dogs involved.
“We cannot stress this enough: the supply for badly-bred puppies will only disappear if public demand stops. Every year, thousands of pups are dying alone and in pain, at just days or weeks old, to fuel the trade. We will continue to fight the puppy trade every step of the way, but we need each and every person to do their bit to help us stop it.
“Since March 23, our inspectors and animal rescue officers have dealt with over 10,000 reports of animals in need. Our animal helpline operators are working from home to ensure that we continue to help the animals of Scotland during the pandemic. As long as they need us, we’ll be there.”
