A fifth of South West puppy purchasers would 'turn a blind eye' to illegal smuggling

A fifth of puppy purchasers in the South West would be willing to ‘turn a blind eye’ to cruel smuggling trade to get the dog they want, according to Dogs Trust.

The charity, which has a rehoming centre in Newton Tony, has called for the Government to increase penalties for those who traffic dogs into the UK illegally.

Every year thousands of puppies are smuggled across Central and Eastern Europe to be mis-sold to UK dog lovers.

Many suffer significant health problems and/or lifelong behavioural challenges as a result, and some may not survive.

In addition, some of the dogs being trafficked young puppies, the youngest being just seven weeks old when it entered Great Britain, too young to even leave its mum.

Dogs Trust’s consumer research polled 2,000 people in the UK who had either bought a puppy or are looking to buy one in the future.

In addition to 19% of people in the South West admitting that they would be willing to buy a puppy even if they thought it might have been illegally smuggled into the country, 43% said they would be willing to buy a puppy from an online advert despite:

• 32% saying they knew someone who had a bad experience or had been scammed

• More than half (52%) saying they were concerned that it is easier to be scammed since the pandemic

The charity has warned that demand for puppies has soared during lockdown, leading to an increase in puppy prices - and with that, a 'perfect storm' for criminals to cash in.

Between March and the end of November, Dogs Trust rescued 257 puppies illegally imported into the country from abroad, as well as 16 heavily pregnant mums who have gone on to give birth to an additional 61 puppies.

These alone were worth over £570,000.

Dogs Trust Veterinary Director Paula Boyden said:

"For more than six years Dogs Trust has been exposing the abuses of pet travel legislation by puppy smugglers, but our concerns have so far gone unanswered.

"The findings of our latest research demonstrate that it’s more important than ever that the Government takes action to stop the suffering of puppies at the hands of cruel traders. Pups continue to pay for every day of Government delay.

“With the end of the Brexit transition period fast approaching, we are calling on the Government to urgently raise the minimum age for puppies to be imported into the UK to six months to help make them less desirable. We also want to see tougher penalties for smugglers, as only a handful of cases have ever led to a prosecution.

“We want people in the South East to understand that buying an illegally imported puppy has huge implications for both the pups - who have to travel miles across borders in awful conditions - and the mums who are basically breeding machines.

“Too many would-be dog owners simply do not pay attention where their puppy comes from, and this must stop.

“We’re urging people to be patient, do their research and take measures not to buy into this cruel industry which results in horrendous suffering to the dogs involved.”

Dogs Trust has highlighted some of the dangers of puppy smuggling in a new animation, ‘A Christmas Tale’.

It shows the journey of a puppy who has been bought online, to be delivered in time for Christmas, but all is not as it seems.

The underaged puppy has in fact been smuggled into the country, his mum left behind to continue a cruel life as a breeding machine.

WATCH:

Those who are interested in getting a dog are being reminded to watch out for these red flags:

• You can't see the puppy interacting with their mum or littermates

• There's no image of the mum on the advert, or there is only an image of mum on her own

• The advert says the puppy has been imported but they are under 15 weeks old

• The seller is offering multiple breeds for sale

• The seller is offering to deliver the puppy or is asking to meet you anywhere other than where the puppy was born

• The seller says they have a legitimate passport for the puppy but fails to show a copy

• The breeder’s contact details are appearing on multiple adverts.

More information about the 'Change the Tale' campaign can be found on the Dogs Trust website**.**

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• Dogs Trust
• smuggling
• south west