Crosskennan urges support for puppy farming petition

The charity, which opened in 1996, was initially set up as a primarily equine charity.

However, due to increasing numbers of dogs needing help it also now rehomes large numbers of dogs and cats.

Following a BBC Scotland investigation, a CLAS spokesperson commented: “We have seen some truly stomach-churning and heart-breaking sights in our almost two decades of operation and have always helped these animals where we could.

“We now need to focus on the root cause of the problem and that is the careless breeding highlighted by the BBC programme.”

The charity is asking its supporters to sign the petition “End puppy farming in Northern Ireland” at change.org. and to make the Justice and Agriculture Ministers aware of public opposition to the practice.

It is also asking supporters to make a small, regular contribution to its running costs for the care of rescued puppies and dogs.

The CLAS charity is funded solely by donations from the public and without this support it says it could no longer rescue animals in distress. To donate, visit the Crosskennan Lane Animal Sanctuary page at justgiving.com