EXPOSED: The cruel Australian puppy farms leaving helpless dogs covered in filth and riddled with disease - so do you know where your designer dog REALLY comes from?
- WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
- Puppy farms are legal in New South Wales and are mostly self-regulated
- Dogs are forced to produce as many litters as possible with no number caps
- Animal Justice Party's Emma Hurst trying to regulate puppy farms in NSW
- Many excited owners have rushed to buy a new dog during COVID-19 lockdown
- But most will have no idea of their puppy's horrific upbringing on cruel farms
Campaigners fear thousands of Australians have unknowingly supported a cruel industry which produces designer dogs on mass, as families rushed to buy a new puppy during coronavirus lockdown.
Puppy farms across New South Wales sell dogs online or to pet shops, with aninals kept in squalid conditions and forced to breed and produce litters until they can no longer cope.
Shocking footage secretly filmed at the farms, and provided to Daily Mail Australia, show dogs living in vile conditions and at the brink of death.
The industry in NSW is largely self-regulated, according to animals rights groups, with cruelty on a unimaginable scale.
Emma Hurst, a member of the legislative council for the Animal Justice Party, is working to expose the dark side of the animal industry.
Puppy farms in New South Wales sell pets online or to pet shops, and see dogs kept in squalid conditions and forced to breed (pictured, dogs kept at a puppy farm in NSW)
Emma Hurst (pictured), a member of the legislative council for the Animal Justice Party, is working to expose the dark side of the animal industry
There are an estimated 200 puppy farms in New South Wales - which is a legal business operation - which produce 103,000 puppies (pictured, a puppy farm)
Dogs in puppy farms are often kept in awful conditions where they have little access to food and water (pictured, an exhausted dog lies on a filthy floor)
There are an estimated 200 puppy farms in NSW - which is a legal business operation - producing 103,000 puppies annually.
'Dogs are often living in filth, deprived of social interaction, and many suffer from illness and disease,' Ms Hurst said.
'We've seen numerous exposes of puppy farms in NSW where dogs have injuries, lack of food and water, and clearly haven't been given any veterinary care.'
She said female dogs used for breeding often have a lifetime of behavioural issues, fear and stress.
Ms Hurst added that dogs are often kept in small, empty crates for most of their life without ever seeing the daylight.
Dogs in puppy farms may never leave and instead used to produce as many litters as possible (pictured, a pregnant dog found at a NSW puppy farm)
Ms Hurst added that dogs are often kept in small, empty crates for most of their life without ever seeing the daylight (pictured, one of the mums found)
There is no exact figures on how many puppy farms operate in New South Wales due to the little regulation in the industry (pictured, dogs kept in cages)
Ms Hurst said there have been cases where new puppies has been with deadly illnesses like bronchopneumonia or kennel cough, and suddenly stopped breathing
'Most puppy farms are secretive and out of public view and are almost impossible for authorities to locate,' she said.
'There are likely thousands of dogs living in squalid conditions on these puppy farms, but because of secrecy of the industry and lack of proper regulation it's impossible to know exactly how many there really are.'
There isn't only the issue of where the pets are raised and the behavioural trauma it can cause, but puppies bred at the farms often suffer fatal health defects.
Ms Hurst said there have been cases where new puppies has been with deadly illnesses like bronchopneumonia or kennel cough, and suddenly stopped breathing.
Others have reported health issues such as hip dysplasia, ear infections, hernias and parvovirus - forcing their new owners to pay thousands in vet bills.
Others have reported health issues such as hip dysplasia, ear infections, hernias and parvovirus - forcing their new owners to pay thousands in vet bills
New South Wales has some of the weakest laws in the country when it comes to puppy farming (pictured, dogs kept in dark and filthy cages)
People convicted of animal cruelty have the ability to restart their puppy farming despite their crimes
New South Wales has some of the weakest laws in the country when it comes to puppy farming - with people convicted of animal cruelty allowed to continue operating their business, according to activists.
Ms Hurst said there is evidence of development applications from puppy farms owners in other states moving their operation to NSW due to the relaxed legislation.
'We need urgent action in NSW to protect dogs and to make sure we don't become the puppy farming hub of Australia,' Ms Hurst said.
Ms Hurst said there is evidence of development applications from puppy farms owners in other states moving their operation to NSW due to the relaxed legislation
Ms Hurst told Daily Mail Australia that people should never buy a cat or dog online or from a pet shop
She said that pet shops almost always sell animals that have come from puppy farms as reputable breeders wouldn't sell to them
Ms Hurst is working to bring in legislation that would hold people on puppy farms accountable for their actions
Dogs in puppy farms are kept in captivity in horrific cages so they can mass produce puppies for a commercial industry
She wants the legislation to - at the very least - match Victoria, where there is a limit of ten breeding dogs per breeder and each dog can only produce a maximum of five litters
Due to puppy farms not being connected to any legislation, some operations may not be inspected for years
There are also hopes on limiting the number of undesexed dogs, banning the sale of dogs online and in pet shops, registration requirements and mandatory vet checks
Ms Hurst is introducing legislation into the NSW parliament in the hopes of stopping the state becoming a hub for puppy farming.
She wants the legislation to - at the very least - match Victoria, where there is a limit of ten breeding dogs per breeder and each dog can only produce a maximum of five litters.
There are also hopes on limiting the number of undesexed dogs, banning the sale of dogs online and in pet shops, registration requirements and mandatory vet checks.
'The people of NSW will never accept the industrialized factory farming of puppies – especially while thousands of healthy loving dogs are being killed in pounds because there aren't enough loving homes,' Ms Hurst said.
Western Australia is also working on bringing similar legislation to Victoria on puppy farms.
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