People looking to adopt a dog this holiday season have been warned to watch out for smugglers looking to cash in on the Christmas puppy market.
Some 27 pregnant dogs were seized at UK borders between late September and early November after being illegally shipped in from Central and Eastern Europe.
Dogs Trust Merseyside said it has seen a 60% increase in the number of illegally imported pregnant dogs in the past year, many in the late stages of pregnancy and with some giving birth within days of arriving in the country.
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Rehoming centre manager Georgina Lowery said: “It’s very easy, especially when you’re looking for a puppy, to make decisions with your heart. But this is exactly the trap smugglers want you to fall into. Unknowingly buying a smuggled puppy could have very real consequences for the owner too. The puppy might be too young to have been legally imported or have health issues that you don’t necessarily notice until too late.
“If we don’t crack down on puppy smuggling soon, our fear is that it will continue causing suffering and misery for so many dogs. We are urging the Government to progress the Kept Animals Bill through Parliament as a priority, to introduce vital protections for pets and bring an end to this barbaric trade.”
More than 2,000 puppies with an estimated market value of more than £3m have been seized at the UK border and taken into Dogs Trust’s care since in 2015. More than 130 pregnant dogs have been seized since 2017, bearing around 600 puppies that would have been sold to unsuspecting buyers.
Illegally imported dogs are often riddled with health problems: pregnant dogs have been found in "horrendous conditions" and are often nervous and traumatised by the long, uncomfortable journey overseas, which can in turn affect the development of their pups.
Dogs Trust Merseyside has now called on the Government to allow the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill to pass through the parliamentary process to tackle the trade once and for all. The 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).
In an open letter to DEFRA minister Richard Benyon, MP Neil Hudson said of behalf of Dogs Trust: "Desite cost of living pressures, importation of pregnant dogs for the anticipated Christmas market continues and Dogs Trust is desperately concerned this trade will worsen further.
"Worryingly, the rate of abandoned animals is increasing as the cost of living challenges intensify for many, with Dogs Trust expecting to care for many more dogs as the crisis continues. We are hugely concerned that these pregnant dogs will inevitably lead to abandoned puppies through people buying a puppy as a Christmas giftyet not being able to provide for its ongoing care, or if smugglers are unable to sell them."
The letter was supported Walden MP Dan Carden.
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