Alarm at puppy gift trade

Pets: Charity warns of rogue breeders smuggling sick dogs over Christmas

Bootleg breeders are illegally smuggling thousands of puppies into Britain to meet Christmas demand, a dog welfare charity has warned.

Nearly 100 were seized at the border in one week, the Dogs Trust said, labelling the record clampdown “just the tip of the iceberg”.

High demand for trendy breeds like pugs, dachshunds and French bulldogs helps fuel the “sickening trade”, which can net unscrupulous farmers tens of thousands of pounds.

Pups suffering from behavioural and health problems are among thousands trafficked in “shocking conditions”, many from central and eastern Europe, the charity said.

Some as young as four weeks old resort to vomiting and eating their own faeces as they are smuggled across Europe in cramped spaces with no air conditioning, its investigation found. In 2016, 275,876 dogs travelled to Great Britain, more than treble the recorded number in 2011.

Dogs Trust veterinary director Paula Boyden said: “Buying an illegally imported puppy could potentially cost well-meaning

“Public do not know enough about the horrors of the trade”

but unsuspecting families thousands of pounds in quarantine and vet bills and emotional heartache for the family if the puppy falls ill or worse dies.”

The findings suggest the public do not know enough about the horrors of the trade, the trust said.

It has compiled advice to help people avoid purchasing illegal pups.

FASHION VICTIMS: Chow chows taken into the care of the Dogs Trust after they were smuggled into the UK