TORFAEN could become the latest council to support calls to ban and outlaw third-party puppy farming in Wales.

Lucy’s Law is seeking an immediate ban on the sale of dogs and puppies by pet shops and other commercial dealers.

The plans would mean those wanting to buy or adopt a pet younger than six months old will have to go directly to a breeder or a rescue centre.

The UK Government has started consulting on the proposed ban in England, but animal welfare remains a devolved matter in Wales.

Members of the Welsh Assembly have expressed general support for the ban, while a petition urging the Welsh Government to implement it has reached nearly 6,500 signatures.

A notice of motion from Labour councillor Kelly Preston will propose that Torfaen council adds it name to a ‘growing list’ of supporters and raise awareness of the campaign.

It also calls for council leader Anthony Hunt to write to the Welsh and UK governments and ‘support the urgent call for action on this matter’.

The motion reads: “There is no cost implication to the authority in supporting this motion.

“The motion simply seeks to show our support for the campaign to ban and outlaw third party puppy farming in Wales.”

Lucy’s Law is named after a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who was rescued from a Welsh puppy farm in 2013 but died three years later.

One of the campaign’s leading supporters is CARIAD (Care and Respect Includes All Dogs), which also means ‘beloved’ in Welsh.

Several councils in Wales have already passed, or are looking to pass, motions in support of CARIAD, including Caerphilly, Carmarthenshire and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

The motion will be debated at the full council meeting on Tuesday, October 23.