VIDEO: Puppies Being Illegally Smuggled Into UK

An undercover investigation has found there's an increasing number of puppies being illegally smuggled into the UK from Europe. The Dogs Trust went to Eastern Eruope to highlight that the Pet Travel Scheme is still being used a s a cover by commercial dealers to import puppies. Many are on fake passports having been taken away from their mothers at a young age, not vaccinated and often carrying illness. In one case investigators even managed to smuggle a toy dog through passport control which wasn't checked. Watch a video from the Dogs Trust here

Many of the puppies haven't been socialised with other dogs.

Owners don't realise the problem until they take their poorly puppy to a UK vet and are told they've been unwittingly sold a UK import.

Paul Dunn from Merseyside Dogs Home says:

"The centres here are having to cope with the problems being brought in from other countries. We already have enough stray dogs in this country already we need to find homes for and rehabilitate. And now since 2012 we are dealing with animals being brought in from other countries like Lithuania and Hungary - young dogs that were brought in as puppies and now we are having to sort out the mess".