The Antrim Councillor passed information to the local dog wardens – who in turn contacted DARD – after he was approached by a constituent who was extremely distressed by what she had seen.
Councillor Neil Kelly said: “I am appalled at these claims. While I myself have not witnessed any sales, I have seen a photograph that would suggest puppies are being poorly treated in the area.
“I can’t express how angry I am that this could be going on anywhere, let alone here in Antrim. I am grateful to the woman who approached me with this information and would appeal to others with information to come forward to the relevant authorities.
“It is very important that we establish the truth behind these allegations and if anything cruel or underhand is taking place it must be stopped.
“As a dog lover I really don’t understand how anyone could treat animals this way. At this time of year people are looking for puppies for Christmas, but I would urge them to go to a reputable breeder. Poorly bred dogs will have terrible health problems costing your family a great deal of money not to mention the heartbreak.
“It’s about supply and demand. If there’s no demand for these dogs at car boot sales, then there won’t be any for sale. It’s cruel and should not be happening.”