The woman who rescued Dilyn the Downing Street dog today spoke about her fight against the horrors of puppy farming.
Eileen Jones also praised Lucy’s Law, backed by the Mirror, which will stop the commercial breeding of the animals.
The 66-year-old took in Dilyn from a puppy breeder because a wonky jaw meant he could not be sold.
She said: “Dilyn is a puppy but most dogs we take in are adults. They are abandoned by breeders when they are no longer profitable, when they stop having litters, or have small or sickly litters.
“Some come from licensed puppy farms, the ones in the worst condition come from unlicensed, illegal ones.
“They will have got my number, we meet in a service station or lay-by and they hand the dogs over. I don’t know much about who they are. I don’t ask questions, I just get the dogs and go. It’s fairly clandestine but that’s the way it has to be. They only do it knowing there’s no comeback.”
Eileen works for Friends of Animals Wales.
She rescued Dilyn, who has been adopted by PM Boris Johnson and girlfriend Carrie Symonds, from a West Wales puppy breeder.
Eileen described her work as just “picking up the pieces” of puppy farming without being able to stop it – until Lucy’s Law came along.
It was founded by vet Marc Abraham.
Eileen said the law, coming in next April, “helps me carry on” as she knows there will be an end to the cruelty of puppy farms. Of our campaign, she added: “Thank you so much for everything you’ve done, it’s had a huge impact.”
