A CALL to support a ban on puppy farming will be heard at Thursday’s October 11 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council.

The call, known as Lucy’s Law, seeks an immediate ban on the sale of puppies by pet shops and other third-party commercial dealers.

It aims to make puppies available only from rescue centres, or reputable breeders where the puppies are always seen with their real mothers.

In England, the UK Government is currently consulting on proposals to adopt Lucy’s Law, but animal welfare is a devolved power in Wales.

Pressure is now growing on the Welsh Government to adopt similar measures.

West Wales, in particular, is often viewed as having one of the largest concentrations of commercial dog breeders.

At the October 11 meeting of the council, Pembroke Dock councillor Joshua Beynon, in a notice of motion, will ask that: “…this council adds its support to the Lucy’s Law national campaign to ban and outlaw third party puppy sales.

“This council will add its name to the growing list of supporting organisations and will proactively highlight the campaign to our residents across the county.

“This council requests that the leader of the council writes to the Welsh and UK governments, supporting the call for urgent action on this matter.”

Labour candidate for south Pembrokeshire, Marc Tierney has also been pushing for the introduction of Lucy's Law.

MrTierney met with Marc Abraham, a well-known vet and advocate of stricter regulations on dog breeding across the United Kingdom.

Mr Abraham told Mr Tierney that Wales has a poor reputation on puppy farming and it was time for action. He said: “Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire are famous for their reputation for puppy farming, which is not a fame desired by any part of the UK.

"Lucy’s Law is an opportunity to reverse that reputation because what Lucy’s Law is saying is that instead of mass producing puppies to sell via third parties, you’re saying for people to come and see the puppy with it’s mum, to see the conditions it has been bred in and that will keep money in the welsh economy.”

Mr Tierney said: “By introducing Lucy’s Law, the Welsh Government can send a very strong message that puppy farming is not acceptable.  We know, from organisations involved in rescuing breeding dogs and their poorly pups,  that some animals are being kept in very poor conditions and are at risk of disease and behavioural problems.  Even better than buying a puppy, perhaps consider rehoming a dog like we’ve done in our family.”