The number of illegal puppy farms trading from Carmarthenshire has put the county at the top of the national table in RSPCA concerns.

All 22 Welsh local authorities were questioned under the Freedom of Information Act regarding ways in which they are tackling illegal puppy breeding.

Following the investigation, Carmarthenshire came out as having the highest number of enquiries from concerned members of the public.

In 2020 the number of enquiries stood at 149 while the following year it had soared to 221.

Carmarthenshire also had the highest number of investigations with 58 in 2020 and 72 in 2021 while the number of criminal prosecutions topped the national list with two prosecutions carried out last year.

Now there is concern that with significant issues with poor puppy breeding practices in Carmarthenshire and  may only be the tip of the iceberg.

Irresponsible breeding and poor care can cause health and behavioural problems in puppies as well as stress and expense for owners - and sadly these new statistics suggest this is still all too common in Wales.

Now the RSPCA is urging Carmarthenshire County Council to tackle the problem by ensuring that breeders protect the welfare of dogs and puppies.

Trading Standards Wales is currently undertaking a project - the Local Authority (Animal Licensing) Enforcement Project - on behalf of the Welsh Government which looks at supporting Councils to ensure consistent enforcement of dog breeding laws across Wales.

Hope Rescue and the RSPCA have also provided training as part of this project.

Trading Standards Wales has also been working in conjunction with Crime Stoppers to develop some material for encouraging members of the public to report concerns.

RSPCA Cymru’s public affairs officer Billie-Jade Thomas said: “It is encouraging to see local authorities acting on information given to them by members of the public, and may suggest that puppy purchasers are becoming more savvy, and are listening to advice when it comes to puppy farms and breeders.

"But these figures demonstrate there's still significant issues with poor puppy breeding practices in Wales - and we're worried they may only be the tip of the iceberg.”