Recently Britain has taken an important step to protect animals from exploitation. The government banned third-party sales of kittens and puppies below the age of 6 months. Now people who want to adopt a pet will not be able to get one at a pet shop or other commercial dealer, instead, they will have to go to breeders directly or chose animal shelters.
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This new measure will make breeders more accountable for animal welfare and will make it more difficult to sell illegally smuggled cats and dogs.
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When breeders interact with customers directly instead of using third parties to hide, they are forced to take responsibility for the treatment of animals.
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This move will help to reduce the serious health and socialization issues that pets held in poor conditions by so-called 'puppy farmers' often face.
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The ban comes after a successful campaign against puppy farming, which was sparked by a dog named Lucy who was rescued from a puppy farm and suffered years of mistreatment.
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Lisa Garner, who rescued Lucy, said "We launched Lucy's Law a year after her passing as a tribute to her and all the breeding dogs that are hidden from the public."
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Dogs are often held by breeders in appalling conditions and are forced to produce litters of puppies. "Her body was broken when she was rescued at five years old," vet Marc Abraham, told BBC 5 Live about Lucy's condition.
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This move was endorsed by animal support groups, shelters, and the general public, making it an important step to protect helpless animals.