Pet shops and dealers in England will be banned from selling puppies and kittens under government plans.
The proposals, which have gone out to consultation, will mean those wanting to buy or adopt a pet less than six months old will have to go to the breeder or a rescue centre.
A ban on licensed sellers dealing in dogs and cats less than eight weeks old is already coming in on 1 October.
Campaigners welcomed the announcement, but warned of “potential loopholes”.
The ban aims to reduce the health problems associated which emerge when animals are reared in poor conditions.
It is a victory for the Lucy’s Law campaign, which has been calling for the ban to be implemented.
The campaign was named after a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who was badly treated in the puppy farming system.
Lucy was rescued in 2013 at five years old from a Welsh puppy farm. She had a series of health problems, including a curved spine as a result of being kept in a cramped cage, and epilepsy. She died in 2016.
A petition supporting Lucy’s Law was signed by nearly 150,000 people and was debated in Parliament in May.
There are no records of the number of puppies sold via third parties, but the animal charity Blue Cross has estimated it is between 40,000 and 80,000 per year in Great Britain.
The Department for Environment, Food and rural Affairs said fewer than 100 third party sellers – which includes some pet shops – are licensed in England.
Speaking in support of a change, Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: “People who have a complete disregard for pet welfare will no longer be able to profit from this miserable trade.”
TV vet Marc Abraham, who launched the campaign for Lucy’s Law, told BBC Radio 5 Live that Lucy’s Law will make all breeders and puppy farms “completely transparent and accountable” which “completely raises the stakes for animal welfare”.
“There’s nowhere to hide, a pet shop can’t blame the breeder and the breeder can’t blame the pet shop,” he said.
“Everyone selling is accountable so this is a very exciting time for animal welfare.”
He said Lucy was a “beautiful little soul” whose condition when she was rescued was “so heartbreaking”.
“Lisa Garner, her owner, rehabilitated her and popped her in the hands of various celebrities and got this huge social media following and helped raised awareness about not only puppy farming, but rescue dog adoption,” he said.
“Then she sadly passed away and succumbed to all her injuries in December 2016.
“We launched Lucy’s Law a year after her passing as a tribute to her and all the breeding dogs that are hidden from the public.”
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