OTLEY’S MP has welcomed a ban on the third-party sale of puppies and kittens.

Lucy’s Law was officially passed into law last week after a long campaign that was supported by Alex Sobel (Lab, Leeds North West).

The legislation requires pets in England to be bred and reared in a safe environment and sold from their place of birth - in a bid to stamp out puppy farming and deter puppy smugglers.

The law is named after a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who died after being forced to give birth to repeated litters on a puppy farm in Wales. An e-petition calling for an end to the practice received nearly 150,000 signatures.

In response, the Government issued a Call for Evidence and held a consultation which found overwhelming support for a ban on the third-party sale of puppies and kittens.

Mr Sobel said: “I’m so pleased that this hard-fought campaign has finally come to fruition. We are a nation of animal lovers and heartless breeders have exploited that for far too long.”

From next April it will be illegal for anyone to sell puppies and kittens unless they are the breeder. The law also ensures that animals are not removed from their mothers after birth.