Don't miss a thing by getting the latest from the Manchester Evening News sent direct to your inbox Criminal gangs are behind a rise in dog thefts and illegal puppy farms because it's a 'low-risk, high reward' way of making money, a charity has warned.
Demand for puppies has soared during lockdown - and that's sent the price rocketing too. It's prompted illegal breeders to set up operations all over the country.
And campaigners believe stolen dogs are being used for illegal unlicensed breeding which has led to a rise in thefts. A spokesman for Animal Protection Services, a charity set up to prosecute illegal breeders, said: "Many groups are switching from drugs to puppies because there is so little enforcement. "The law about licensing
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk