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The Puppy Smuggling Nightmare Before Christmas
1 year ago 
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Dogs Trust issues warning ahead of festive shopping rush and asks people not to buy puppies for Christmas
Dogs Trust continues to campaign for tighter restrictions to tackle puppy smuggling and urges people not to buy puppies for Christmas as smugglers flood the market with illegally imported dogs.
More than 2,000 puppies have been seized at the UK border and taken into Dogs Trust’s care as part of its Puppy Pilot scheme since it launched in 2015 - an estimated equivalent market value of over £3m. Dogs Trust has also seen a 60 per cent increase in the number of pregnant dogs seized at UK borders since 2021, many in the late stages of pregnancy and with some giving birth within days of arriving in the country. The UK’s largest dog welfare charity expects numbers to continue to rise if urgent action is not taken.
The Puppy Pilot scheme was originally set up to aid the interception of illegally imported puppies by APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency) at the ports and provide care and rehabilitation for them prior to find them their forever homes.
Seven years on this scheme is still needed more than ever as puppies continue to be seized at borders and require essential quarantine facilities before they are placed at a Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre. Similarly, emergency kennelling is vital for the pregnant dogs to allow some respite following the abhorrent journeys they have endured
Paula Boyden, Dogs Trust Veterinary Director said:
“It’s very easy, especially when you’re looking for a puppy, to make decisions with your heart. But unknowingly buying a smuggled puppy could have very real consequences for the new owner. The puppy might be too young to have been legally imported or have health issues that you don’t necessarily notice until too late.
“The need for our services continues to be greater than ever and this year, quarantine and emergency kennelling facilities have been supported by funding raised by generous players of People’s Postcode Lottery. We want to say thank you to the players, as their support has meant we have been able to provide essential facilities and the care these puppies and pregnant dogs need when they arrive in the UK, before coming into Dogs Trust’s care to be rehabilitated and rehomed.”
Dogs Trust has, for many years, campaigned for more to be done to stop illegal imports of dogs, and is actively calling on the Government to allow the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill to finally pass through the parliamentary process to tackle the trade once and for all. This Bill includes the provision of new powers enabling the Government to introduce measures via secondary legislation to tackle the abuses of the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS).
Dogs Trust recently issued an open letter to the Minister for Animal Welfare, calling on the Government to tackle the worrying increase in the number of pregnant dogs being illegally imported into the country by bringing the Kept Animals Bill back to Parliament immediately. The letter has been signed by over 60 MPs supporting the charity’s campaign to tackle puppy smuggling. The open letter can be read here.
To find out more about puppy smuggling visit www.dogstrust.org.uk/puppysmuggling
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