Praising the Work of the Puppy Trafficking Working Group and Scottish SPCA

That the Parliament supports the continued and ongoing efforts of the Puppy Trafficking Working Group, chaired by the Scottish SPCA, which brings together a wide range of stakeholders to discuss actions across the UK to tackle the illegal puppy trade; notes that the group, established in 2016, includes the Scottish SPCA, the RSPCA, Dog’s Trust, the Kennel Club, HMRC, the Scottish Government, DEFRA and DERA officials, Blue Cross, special investigation teams, and local authority trading standards officers, including from Dumfries and Galloway and Highland councils; notes what it sees as the vital importance of the Puppy Trafficking Working Group in allowing a shared platform to discuss cases, actions and examples of best practice in tackling the illegal puppy trade which, it understands, in Scotland, largely operates out of the Port of Cairnryan in Dumfries and Galloway, although dogs can also be brought from other parts of the UK into Scotland; welcomes that, as a result of the group's work, initiatives such as the Scottish SPCA’s Assured Puppy Breeder Scheme and the Scottish Government’s Say No to Puppy Dealers programme, have been created; encourages everyone to ensure they are aware of the signs of a trafficked puppy, and of the best-practice advice, such as always seeing a pup in its home setting with its mother, before buying; underlines the Scottish SPCA campaign, Keep Me Off Your Xmas List, which states that animals should not be an impulse buy, or purchased as a surprise present at any time, but especially over Christmas; understands that, in previous years, the Scottish SPCA has taken in many animals that were bought as gifts and were then abandoned once the novelty had worn off; considers that buying a pet should not be decided on a whim, that people must understand the commitment required to give the care and attention that a pet needs before buying one, and that pets should always be bought from a reputable source; wishes the Scottish SPCA and all others on the Puppy Trafficking Working Group well for the future, and encourages all to check their website before buying a puppy, saynotopuppydealers.co.uk.