The drive to Douglas Hall Kennels is a journey through the English countryside, where rolling hills, sheep frolicking on the slopes, and the occasional fell runner adds to the scene of rural tranquillity.

Leaving behind the village of Fence, the road climbs steeply toward Spen Brook, revealing a breathtaking view of the formidable Pendle Hill.

It is a long way from Fermanagh, in rural Northern Ireland, for these dogs. 350 miles, in fact.

A small farm entrance greets you at the top, marked by a sign featuring a cartoon pug - an ironic touch, as there are no pugs for sale here.

It promises pedigree and crossbreed puppies, seven days a week, and is open to visitors.

It’s easy to drive past the discreet sign without noticing it, but upon arrival, one thing becomes clear: there isn’t a single bark or whine to be heard.

The atmosphere outside is gloomy and somewhat ominous, with an industrial portable office surrounded by heavy-duty vehicles.

Douglas Hall Kennels

After looking around, there was nobody available to speak to me or even question why I had turned up. It all seemed to be a bit of a ghost farm.

In contrast, the kennels themselves are housed in a building made of crisp white stone, which could easily be mistaken for a holiday cottage in another scenic part of the country.

But inside, there is a different reality.

The kennels house young Dachshunds, Cocker Spaniels, and Beagles brought from Northern Ireland by exploiting a loophole in Lucy’s Law legislation.

Campaigners have fiercely criticised this practice, calling it de facto puppy farming.

They are demanding the loophole be closed, and legislation introduced to ensure dogs and puppies can only be sold from the kennels where they are bred.

A further attempt to contact the kennels by phone was met by a ‘no comment’ response and an email has not been replied to.

Pendle Council was contacted regarding the dog kennels.

A spokesperson for the council said: “Pendle Borough Council is aware of the issues surrounding importing dogs to sell in premises licensed in England.

"Pendle’s role is to administer the law as set out in the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 and the supporting guidance.

“When the legislation first came into effect Pendle sought guidance on the extent of it from the Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).

“Defra confirmed that the Regulations do not prohibit a dog breeding business, based outside of England, selling their dogs in England provided they have a license to do so.

“Douglas Hall Kennels currently have licenses for breeding dogs and selling animals as pets.

“The licenses having been awarded after assessing them in accordance with the Regulations and Guidance.”