THE PUPPY BANDITS
Fears over rising toll of designer dogs trafficked by European gangs into UK
Illegally imported designer dogs are flooding into Scotland from Hungary.
Criminal gangs are trafficking the pups in horrific conditions with fake papers and selling them for up to £ 850 each online.
But the animals – some just five weeks old – are too young to have been vaccinated for rabies and travel more than 1000 miles in tiny crates.
Trading Standards issued a warning after seizing a haul of FrenchEnglish bulldog cross pups last week. Scott McKenzie, of North Ayrshire Council Protective Services, said: “This was a sophisticated fraud involving the falsification of authentic passports and dogs being crossed to appear older than they are.
“People buying pups on free- toadvertise websites should be very suspicious, particularly where a £2000 dogd is advertised at £ 850 and the seller is willing to take £500.
“Their suspicions should grow further whenw no paperwork is available at the timeti of sale.” The trade in illegal puppies rakes in millions of pounds a month and has grown since the relaxation of the Pet Travel Scheme in 2012.
Pets exported from the EU to Britain are meant to be at least 15 weeks old and inoculated against rabies.
But Dogs Trust have taken in more than 300 underage designer pups this year. Their spokesman said: “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 began in December, we have taken in over 300 puppies, including dachshunds, French bulldogs, pugs and chow chows and we believe this to be the tip of the iceberg.”