Puppies sedated to smuggle them across the border, claims charity
Puppies have been sedated to smuggle them across the border without any documentation, claims a new report from Dogs Trust.
The charity is calling on Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) to join its campaign to stop puppy smuggling today, after an undercover investigation discovered smugglers across Central and Eastern Europe continuing to abuse the system. The report also found;
- Shocking case of four-week old puppies with umbilical chords still attached being subjected to a 30-hour journey
- Puppies sedated to smuggle them across the border without any documentation
- One group of puppies transported in a basket covered in cling film with just one tiny hole for them to breathe through
- Limited visual checks allowed fake dog to be smuggled across the border twice
- 82 percent of puppies intercepted at the border are popular breeds such as Pugs and French Bulldogs
In another shocking case, puppies were observed vomiting and another eating their own faeces during a journey in a packed mini-van from Lithuania.
Confined to pet carriers stacked amongst other packages in the back of the van with no air conditioning, and outside temperatures of 25 degrees, the puppies were given water just twice and not fed at all. Vets in Poland and Lithuania were also filmed falsifying pet passports and faking rabies vaccination records, enabling underage puppies to slip through the net without the correct paperwork.
Paula Boyden, veterinary director for Dogs Trust said:“These shocking cases clearly show that urgent action is needed to stop the puppy smuggling scandal.
“It remains as serious an issue for animal welfare and public health in 2017 as it did in 2014, when our first investigation highlighted the devastating effects of the 2012 changes to the Pet Travel Scheme, which effectively invited corrupt dealers to traffic underage puppies into Great Britain without the required treatments.
“The number of prosecutions is far too low and the lack of visual checks at ferry ports and borders is unacceptable. We want the government to introduce stronger deterrents including prison sentences for those caught trafficking puppies and enforcement of PETS to shift from carriers to government agencies.
“To highlight the flaws in the system, we smuggled a fake dog ‘Charly’ though the border twice – once at Eurotunnel and once at Dover – after no visual checks were made.
“The government must revise pet travel legislation when the UK leaves the EU and ensure that puppies entering this country are healthy, not underage and are not being brought in to sell on to unsuspecting buyers via a scheme meant for non-commercial use.”
“Following two previous investigations in 2014 and 2015, we launched our Puppy Pilot scheme. Through this, and with the help of APHA, Border Force and Kent Trading Standards, we have funded the quarantine costs of over 500 illegally imported puppies and found them new homes through our rehoming centres. Until Dogs Trust stepped in, seized puppies were at risk of being put to sleep or turned away at the borders.”
Television and radio presenter Dermot O’Leary is backing the campaign and says: “As a dog lover myself I was horrified to learn that puppies are being smuggled into Great Britain in such terrible condition. I fully support Dogs Trust’s campaign to increase awareness of the puppy smuggling scandal.”
