The RSCPA is calling for greater regulation in the pet care industry after horrific cases of dogs being abused have come to light.
In a BBC investigation, reporter Claire Jones found that unlicensed commercial dog walkers, trainers and groomers were sometimes harming the animals in their care.
One such example shown in the report was the vile footage of a dog walker hitting a defenceless pooch repeatedly, caught through home camera footage.
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You can watch the devastating clip below:
The BBC spoke to dog owners Louise and Gary, who had left the pooch, named Bella, with dog walker Jaqueline Wilkins, alongside her canine sibling, Coco.
They cited how Bella's behaviour had started to change a couple of weeks after the dog walks started.
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And when they saw the footage of the dog walker hitting her, they were left "horrified" and in total "shock".
They also told the story of dog walker in Birmingham, Louise Lawford, who said she lost five dogs in her care, and was subsequently banned from keeping animals for five years.
Prosecutors rejected her claim that all of the dogs ran off, but said they were unable to prove what happened to them, meaning they had to "drop charges" relating to the pets' disappearance.
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Plus, they delved into the case of Swindon based greyhound trainer, Clive Elliott, who was jailed for five months and forbidden from keeping dogs for life after he admitted charges of animal neglect.
The charges related to the mistreatment of seven greyhounds, of which three tragically died.
The animal charity said it was a "complete postcode lottery" as to whether these individuals needed licences to work - and those who didn't often ran their businesses with no rules in place to prevent serious neglect.
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"Anybody can set themselves up as a trainer or a walker with no qualifications, not even any experience really," an expert warned in the BBC footage.
An RSPCA spokesperson added: "Unfortunately there are people out there operating not to a particularly good standard of welfare, which does put dogs at risk, and also their owners as well.
"The RSCPA strongly believes that this part of the industry does need to be regulated".
Featured Image Credit: BBC