Nearly a third of puppy purchasers would be willing to ‘turn a blind eye’ to the smuggling trade to get the dog they want, according to Dogs Trust.
Today (Tuesday), the charity has released new research to highlight the scale of the problem and call for urgent Government action to raise the minimum age for puppies to enter the UK to six months and increase penalties for smugglers.
“Worryingly, despite Dogs Trust highlighting this issue for over six years, Government is yet to take any significant action,” a spokesman said.
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 30% of people admitting that they would be willing to buy a puppy even if they thought it might have been illegally smuggled into the country, 44% said they would be willing to buy a puppy from an online advert despite:
– 41% saying they knew someone who had a bad experience or had been scammed, and
– 60% saying they were concerned that it was easier to be scammed since the pandemic.
This demand has created the perfect storm for criminals looking to cash in, Dogs Trust says, as the pandemic has seen interest in dogs soar, which has in turn significantly increased puppy prices.
Between March and the end of November, the charity rescued 257 puppies illegally imported into the country from abroad, as well as 16 heavily-pregnant mums who went on to give birth to an additional 61 puppies. These alone were worth more than £570,000!
TOO YOUNG
A new report, ‘Puppy Smuggling: Puppies still paying as Government delays’, which has been sent to MPs today, looked at adverts for dogs on four of the largest classified websites. Of 502 ads examined over six weeks in England and Scotland, 91 pups were found to be imported (18%). Sixteen of these were too young to have been brought in legally and Dogs Trust believes that was the case for many others, too.
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.
BREEDING MACHINES
“We want people 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’, which shows the journey of a puppy that has been bought online, to be delivered in time for Christmas. To watch, visit www.dogstrust.org.uk/changethetale
