Dogs Trust warns people not to buy a pet puppy for Christmas

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Staff at the Dogs Trust West Calder are issuing an urgent warning and asking people not to buy puppies for Christmas.The UK’s largest dog welfare charity is campaigning for tighter restrictions to tackle puppy smuggling as criminal gangs cash in on peak period for pet purchasing Dachshunds, Bichons and Pomeranians amongst the top breeds seized at UK border in the lead up to ChristmasIt’s never a good idea to give a puppy as a gift, but Dogs Trust West Calder is urging potential puppy owners in the region not to buy puppies during the festive season as doing so is helping to fuel the illegal puppy smuggling trade.

Puppy smugglers from Central and Eastern Europe continue to illegally import puppies as they look to cash in on a key period for puppy purchasing.Susan Tonner, rehoming centre manager at West Calder, said: “It’s very easy, especially when you’re looking for a puppy, to make decisions with your heart.“But this is exactly the trap smugglers want you to fall into.

Unknowingly buying a smuggled puppy could have very real consequences for the owner too.“The puppy might be too young to have been legally imported or have health issues that you don’t necessarily notice until too late.“If we don’t crack down on puppy smuggling soon, our fear is that it will continue causing suffering and misery for so many dogs.

We are urging the Government to progress the Kept Animals Bill through Parliament as a priority, to introduce vital protections for pets and bring an end to this barbaric trade.”More than 2,000 puppies have been seized at the UK border and taken into Dogs Trust’s care as part of its Puppy Pilot scheme since it launched in 2015 – an estimated equivalent market value of over £3m .