Don’t get conned by illegal puppy breeders

People in Plymouth who are thinking of getting a dog are being warned to be wary of illegally imported puppies.

The warning comes after a litter of illegally imported puppies were found by a vet in the city who alerted trading standards officers.

The four puppies were imported to Plymouth from Hungary with pet passports that had a false date of birth.  They were then offered for sale.  Puppies are not allowed to be imported into the UK under the age of 15 weeks old yet these puppies were less than 12.  This means that they had either not been vaccinated for rabies or any vaccination they did have may be ineffective.

Due to the health risks Trading Standards have power to seize and quarantine animals that are illegally imported and this is what Plymouth Officers had to do in this case.  All the dogs had to be taken from their owners for four weeks of quarantine.  A criminal investigation into the seller and importer is now under way.

Since that incident another so called designer puppy purchased from a seller in Wales has been quarantined because it was less than 10 weeks old when it was imported into the UK from Poland.  Again the Pet Passport with the dog had a false date of birth.  The people who purchased the dog are now facing being without their puppy for five weeks and having to pay for the kennelling costs.

Plymouth City Council’s Trading Standards are encouraging people to make sure they know where their new puppy has come from and has had a health check by a UK vet before they purchase. If they are buying an imported dog they must ensure that it has been vaccinated for rabies and is over 15 weeks old.

Councillor Philippa Davey, Cabinet Member for Safer, Stronger communities said: “The last thing we want to do is remove people’s new puppies at such a young age but unfortunately when a dog is imported illegally into the UK from puppy farms across Europe we can’t guarantee that the dogs are properly vaccinated and rabies-free.  We have a duty to try and prevent rabies from entering the country.  Rabies is a horrible disease which kills one child in the world every 10 minutes.

“These puppies are often sold via adverts on the internet and in newspaper small ads. The dogs are accompanied by incomplete, false and forged documentation which lead buyers to believe they have been imported legally or bred in the UK.”

An investigation by the Dogs Trust last year uncovered shocking examples from the trade, including a breeder in Romania keeping four-week-old puppies away from their mums in barren faeces-ridden cages, and Lithuanian puppies being sedated and hidden to smuggle them across borders.

A Dogs Trust Spokesperson said: “Dogs Trust first highlighted the influx of illegally landed puppies from Eastern Europe in November 2014, following a relaxation of the Pet Travel Scheme in 2012. Yet, underage and unvaccinated puppies continue to travel illegally from Eastern Europe to Great Britain destined to be sold online to unsuspecting members of the public. As part of our ongoing campaign against the illegal importation of puppies, we have made a landmark step forward by pledging to fund the care and quarantine of illegally landed puppies that have been seized at the ports. Since the quarantine scheme began in December 2015, we have taken in over 100 underage ‘designer’ puppies including Dachshunds, French Bulldogs, Pugs and Chow Chows and we believe this to be the tip of the iceberg.

“Buyers must be vigilant, as a puppy brought in from Eastern Europe could cost far more than expected. Should a puppy be identified by your vet as illegally imported, you could be faced with additional vet fees and have to pay for quarantine costs. The implications of the trade goes beyond the huge welfare implications for the dogs, it affects unsuspecting members of the public too, plus puts additional pressure on local authorities. This highlights the importance of doing your research and investigating fully where you are buying a puppy from. If the puppy comes with a passport, or you cannot see the puppy interact with its mother, we urge people to walk away so as not to unwittingly fuel this despicable trade.

Dogs Trust has set out a series of essential recommendations that we believe will help reduce the number of illegally imported puppies:

• Visual checks of all dogs entering British ports under PETS need to be undertaken to ensure that puppies entering this country are healthy, not underage, and matching the information given in their pet passports. Intelligence-led physical checks should also be a requirement where necessary.
• Intelligence to be shared between agencies and carriers and acted upon where necessary as part of a nationwide multi-agency strategy to tackle the problem
• On the spot fines and greater penalties to be imposed on people who illegally import puppies into the Great Britain to act as a deterrent.
• People can help tackle the illegal puppy trade and avoid an upsetting experience by following this advice:
• Look for clues that the puppy was actually born and reared there, such as food bowls and bedding. If the puppy appears scared in its surroundings, it may not have been brought up there.
• Ask to see certificates of vaccinations and microchipping records but be wary of puppies advertised with a Pet Passport
• Check for any signs of illness.
• Avoid anywhere advertising more than three breeds. More than one breed would raise concern
• Spend plenty of time with the puppy – you should not feel rushed.
• Make sure you see the puppies interacting with their mum, and that she is healthy and happy. Breeders are wise and often bring in ‘stunt’ mothers
• Ask your vet for reputable breeders, or rehome a rescue dog.

Councillor Davey added: “I don’t think people realise that by paying a bargain price for a designer dog you are more than likely paying for a puppy that has been brought into this country illegally, which has possibly been bred on a puppy farm and taken away from their mothers too young, leaving them susceptible to illness. They endure appalling conditions as they are transported hundreds of miles across Europe, with some not surviving the journey.”

If people are concerned about any puppy they have purchased (or know about) then they should report it to the Citizen’s Advice Consumer Service on 03434 040506.