Dogs Trust have praised 'Emmerdale' for featuring the "important issue" of puppy farms.
James Hooton and Karen Blick
The animal welfare charity have thrown their support behind the ITV soap after Tuesday's (14.08.18) episode saw Zak Dingle - played by Steve Halliwell - discover numerous canines were living in filthy conditions when he went to rescue mistreated mutt Monty.
A Dogs Trust spokesperson said: "We firmly believe that intensive breeding methods are abhorrent, so we praise Emmerdale for shining a light on this important issue."
In the ep, Zak - who was joined by son Sam Dingle (James Hooton) and Sam's partner Lydia Hart (Karen Blick) - found the adorable canine tied up and whimpering, and the trio then heard other four-legged friends crying out.
The Dingles came to the rescue by calling the police, who rescued 100 pups from the farm, and Sam later confirmed that the farmer was facing up to six months in prison if convicted.
The spokesperson added to Digital Spy: "There's a huge demand for certain breeds of dogs that have been popularised and puppy farmers are filling the gap in the market by offering buyers the chance to get puppies quickly, often with little regard for welfare which has disastrous consequences.
"Under current rules puppy farmers can exploit major loopholes so we're urging the government to ensure that everyone involved in dog breeding is fully traceable to give the highest standards of welfare for dogs."
Animal welfare charity Four Paws UK also praised 'Emmerdale' for the episode.
A tweet on the aid organisation's Twitter account read: "Many viewers were left heartbroken after seeing dogs on a cruel puppy farm on #Emmerdale last night. TAKE ACTION: We are calling on @eBay_UK to adopt seller-verification across ALL it's classified ad sites (sic)"
But some viewers found the storyline too tough to take.
One fan tweeted: "Hate the #Emmerdale story line about the dogs being treated awfully e.g a puppy farm. It is making me not want to watch the show! (sic)"
Tagged in James Hooton Steve Halliwell