RUFF JUSTICE

Irish crime gangs Swoop in to offload SWOO sick and dying pups. Lenient penalties no deterrent as families fork out thousands

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INVESTIGATIONS into puppy farm sales in Scotland shot up 73 per cent in a year, as rogue sellers wreaked havoc.

The Record can reveal Irish organised crime groups are relentlessly targeting our towns, with shameless sellers moving around to offload ill and dying pups for huge amounts of cash.

Sheriff courts have remained consistently lenient, with offenders typically being fined and banned from keeping animals instead of being jailed for their crimes.

And the Scottish SPCA has warned many offenders can come back to spread more misery given the way huge returns from the miserable trade can dwarf any financial penalties imposed.

Last year, the body's Special Investigations Unit investigated 111 cases of illegal puppy trading in 2025, compared with 64 the previous year.

They heard from hundreds of Scots who had been targeted in dodgy deals where the lives of pups were given no regard by the silver-tongued sellers.

In the past year, the Record has told of cases where crooks have created havoc in the lives of scores of animal lovers with sellers such as Julie Taylor and Sean McDonagh telling a host of lies to make thousands of pounds as they pass on the misery associated with seriously ill puppies.

A spokesperson for the SIU said investigators are sickened by the relentless crimes, which prey on the big hearts of customers.

They added: "The low-welfare puppy trade has become one of the most significant animal welfare challenges in Scotland in recent years.