Regrettably, Wales is now renowned as a hotspot for some of these despicable practices, with a significant number of puppy farms situated in the counties of Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. In fact, rural south-west Wales has the biggest concentration in the whole of the United Kingdom of commercial dog breeders, and it is a sadly widely known fact that it has been churning out puppies in terrible conditions. Irresponsible breeders contribute to a chaotic start in life for many pets, where output volume is more often prioritised over welfare, and this leads to serious health problems and a lack of socialisation for puppies and kittens. Dogs have a critical socialisation period between five and 12 weeks, and many struggle to cope with life as a pet if they have not been introduced to the experiences in this time, a requirement that is very difficult to meet within a shop environment.