Selling a puppy or kitten which you have not bred yourself will be an official offence from Friday, September 10.

This new regulation named 'Lucy's Law' gained popular votes in the Senedd this week, and requires the seller to have bred the animals at their premises.

Minister for environment, energy and rural affairs Lesley Griffiths said:

"I want to thank all Senedd members for voting to ban the third party sales of puppies and kittens today. The people of Wales who responded to our consultation were overwhelmingly in favour of making this happen, and the charities, vets, volunteers and organisations that have worked tirelessly to help form the law into what has been passed today also deserve our thanks."

In April last year this law was implemented in England, and just a month ago it became part of Scottish law as well.

It has been named in memory of Lucy, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who was rescued from a Welsh puppy farm where she was subjected to terrible conditions. Puppy farms are located across the UK with most depending on third-party sellers or ‘dealers’ to distribute often sick, traumatised, unsocialised puppies which have been taken away from their mother at just a few weeks old.

This often involves long-distance transportation, with the puppy or kitten suffering life-threatening medical, surgical, or behavioural problems which are passed on to unsuspecting new owners. Lucy’s Law effectively removes the third-party dealer chain, resulting in all dog and cat breeders becoming accountable for the first time.

Chief veterinary officer Christianne Glossop said:

"The way we treat animals reflects the values of our society. That is why Welsh Government and the Wales Animal Health and Welfare Framework Group work in conjunction to promote high animal welfare standards and the responsible ownership of animals. This law will now close loopholes to protect the welfare and wellbeing of our puppies and kittens, while educating us all about what is right and fair for our pets."