We’ve just pre-ordered our copy of Lucy’s Law, written by Marc Abraham, the story of a beautiful little dog (and some very determined humans) who changed the law and helped end puppy farming in the UK. Lucy’s Law comes into effect on 6th April 2020, after which puppies and kittens can no longer be sold by third-party sellers such as pet shops, or commercial dealers unless they have bred the animal themselves.
Anyone looking to buy or adopt a puppy or kitten under six months old must either deal directly with the breeder, or an animal rehoming centre.
The love I have for my dog Vinnie constantly overwhelms me, the idea of anyone or anything hurting him fills me with dread. For a long time I avoided reading stories about animal abuse and neglect, not because I don’t care, quite the opposite, I just couldn’t unsee or unhear words that would keep me awake at night trying to understand how there could be such nasty people in the world.
A few years ago I was captivated by the story of Lucy, a King Charles Cavalier, born into a Welsh puppy farm and repeatedly bred to produce litters of puppies to be sold online to people across the UK, people who had no idea the circumstances under which their puppies were born, or the suffering endured by their parents. I was drawn to the story by a photograph I spotted online of Lisa Garner, the lady who rescued and rehabilitated Lucy before they embarked on their journey to help change the law.
This photo of Lisa and Lucy perfectly captured a look of pure love, adoration and trust in that little dogs’ eyes for the human who had saved her. It was the first time I had ever heard of puppy farms and the suffering endured by these innocent animals; it was also a stark realisation that I needed to pay more attention to these kinds of articles however disturbing.
Author Marc Abraham, founder of Pup Aid, has campaigned tirelessly for more than a decade for changes to the law, banning third party pet sales and ultimately ending puppy farming. We look forward to receiving our copy of Lucy’ Law next week, I have a sense that this book is not just for those who love, or experience the love of a dog, but for anyone who wants to read about humanity (or lack of, in the puppy farm environment), love, determination and the fact that anything is possible if you care enough.
Lucy, Marc, Lisa, we salute you and all who worked alongside you to make this happen. Lucy’s story, and her lovely little face leaves a legacy of hope not just for the end of puppy farming and the importance of rescue and adoption, but also as an inspiration to all campaigning for changes in legislation to protect the voiceless from abuse and neglect as well as ensuring that future generations respect all living creatures.
Pre order you copy of Lucy’s Law here and get 20% discount using code ‘LUCY’ https://mirrorbooks.co.uk/products/lucys-law-the-story-of-a-little-dog-who-changed-the-world