Pups shipped by van
THE demand for ‘designer’ dogs has reached such levels that puppies are now being ‘couriered’ for days-long journeys from Eastern Europe, the Irish Mail on Sunday can exclusively reveal.
In what appears to be a door-to-door dog delivery service, pups kept in cramped cages are forced to endure days in the back of vans with animal welfare officers raising concerns for their welfare.
In the past week alone, customs officers at the ports of Dublin and Rosslare stopped three vans and found dogs stacked like parcels in small cages amid suitcases and other packages being delivered door-todoor from Poland to Ireland.
An investigation is under way under animal welfare law into the consignment of pups found in the back of a courier company’s van.
Pictures of the inside of one of the vans show pups of different sizes and breeds.
Concerns were raised for the welfare of the pups, which had endured the long trip to Dublin in cramped and confined cages. The dogs were initially released into the care of the DSPCA but have since been delivered to owners who bought them from Eastern Europe and engaged the services of courier companies to ship them into Ireland.
The DSPCA said that while paperwork was provided for dogs, they had concerns for the welfare of the pups.
‘The puppies had all the correct paperwork but they were being transported in cramped and filthy conditions with no proper ventilation,’ a spokesperson said.
The pups were Bernese mountain dogs, chows and pointers, and their combined worth is understood to be around €10,000. All five were bought by different owners.
‘The puppies are believed to have originated in Eastern Europe and had been in transit for a number of days,’ the spokesperson said. ‘The DSPCA is currently investigating the manner in which these animals were transported and details of t he journey taken.’
The Dublin Port stop and search was the first to high
light a trend of importing pups from breeding farms in Eastern Europe. On Thursday, two more vans were stopped at Rosslare. Without the power to seize the pups, the officials allowed the van to continue its journey.
The company defended its record on the transit of animals.
‘Cramped and filthy conditions’
A spokesperson said: ‘We had many stops done to provide them good care. Ferry crossing was with bad weather conditions, it was stormy and dogs, unfortunately, got sick.’
The company said its vans were clean and approved for pet transport by Polish veterinary authorities.