Pet lovers across the county are being saddled with sick dogs bred in cruel puppy farms.

Staff from a Sussex-based charity claim they have seen an increasing amount of dogs suffering from health problems caused by inbreeding and disease.

Billy Elliott, from Worthing and District Animal Rescue Service (Wadars) said that many owners could not afford to pay to treat the puppies’ problems.

One Worthing couple bought eight-week-old shih-tzu Henry for £450, but it soon became clear he wasn’t well.

The couple took their poorly pet to the Grove Lodge veterinary surgery in Worthing where he was found to have problems with his breathing.

Unable to afford the bills for Henry's future care, the couple handed the dog over to Wadars which is looking after him.

Mr Elliott said: “The dog's nasal passages were very narrow and he struggled to breathe.

“He may need surgery in the future to rectify this and it won't be cheap.

“His vaccination records show that he came from Wales where there are lots of puppy farms breeding dogs purely for profit.

“They are kept in poor conditions and bred indiscriminately with each other which leads to illness and other physical problems.

Henry is now being cared for by the charity by Karen May, one of its puppy foster carers, in Durrington.

Mr Elliott warned that more and more puppies sold in the county were coming from the farms and that he had even heard of people advertising fictitious puppies to test the market and then buying them from Wales to order.

He said: “I would urge people to be wary of buying puppies that cannot be seen with their parents.

“I would recommend that people go to a dog sanctuary or rescue home to get a pet.

“Or if they want to have a specific breed then they should buy from a reputable breeder who is Kennel Club registered.”

He added that anyone who went to see a dog and was concerned about the conditions it was being kept in should report it to the RSPCA and anyone who had bought a dog which turned out to be ill should inform Trading Standards.