Many of you will have seen programmes and articles in the media regarding puppy and kitten farming/trafficking.  This involves people breeding, buying and selling these animals purely for profit, without any concern for their health and welfare.  The puppies and kittens are often sick, and in some cases die soon after they are purchased, leaving families facing vet bills, and heartbreak.  Some of these people go on buy and sell sites such as Gumtree and buy puppies or kittens from one person (who could well be a genuine seller who is unaware of the fate of the animals they have sold), and then readvertise them and sell them on at a profit, claiming they are bred from their own pets.

This petition is to ask the Scottish Parliament to tighten up the legislation in Scotland to make it difficult, or preferably impossible for these people to operate, and in doing so, improve animal welfare in Scotland, and prevent a lot of heartache and financial strain for a lot of families who would possibly have bought the puppies and kittens.

Measures could include making it illegal to sell pets on sites such asGumtree; limiting the number of animals one person can buy from a litter (traffickers often ask to buy several, saying they are for other family members); raising public awareness of the problem, and how to report it.

I hope as many of you as possible will sign this petition, and then maybe changes can be made.