Puppies Are Being Smuggled Into the UK to Become Christmas Gifts
The Christmas demand for puppies is fuelling dog smuggling as callous breeders try to make money at the expense of animals’ well-being.
Dogs Trust issued a warning after 100 puppies were seized in just one week during a covert operation at the UK border. Many of the illegally imported dogs have severe health issues and were transported in terrible conditions. The charity has made the following statement:
[T]he demand for desirable and in-trend breeds such as French Bulldog puppies, English Bulldog puppies, Chow Chow puppies and Dachshund puppies shows no sign of slowing down, and continues to help to fuel this sickening trade.
Puppy farm breeders often aren’t concerned with dogs’ welfare, forcing them to have litter after litter so the puppies can be sold for a profit. Keeping them in filthy surroundings and proliferating breeds that have inherent health issues, such as pugs, means many puppies will go on to become ill or even die at a young age.
Dogs Trust also conducted a poll to find out whether prospective puppy buyers were aware of the issues surrounding purchasing a dog. Only half of respondents said they would be concerned if their puppy was imported illegally, and 33 per cent said they would buy a dog from an online classified site or social media.
Dogs sold on websites such as Gumtree often come from puppy farms, and animals simply aren’t commodities to be casually bought and sold online.
It’s estimated there are over 100,000 dogs in animal shelters in the UK, and one of them loses a chance of finding a home every time a greedy breeder forces a dog to give birth to another puppy.
An animal companion is for life, not just for Christmas. Please seriously consider whether you have the time to care for a dog, cat, or other animal and always adopt from your local animal shelter instead of buying from a breeder.
