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Taken from an article by
Holly Kernot. Veterinary
Times, August 3rd.
The increasing demand for
puppies in the UK means
smuggling is on the rise, but
prison sentences for the
criminals and owner education
can help to break the cycle.
Mr Martin, a vet in Shropshire,
estimates 800,000 puppies are
needed annually to meet UK
demand and attributes the
problem to not having enough
decent breeders to satisfy the
desire for home-bred, properly
cared for dogs.
Smuggling outfits have become
more sophisticated, moving
from selling puppies out of cars
at service stations to looking like
genuine breeders, to take
advantage of the financial
rewards on offer. These dealers
have a massive turnover of
puppies. They buy a load of
puppies at the beginning of the
week and they’ve all gone by
the end of the week, making up
to £40,000 for the dealers for
that one week. They don’t want
to be keeping puppies because
they get sick, they need food
and they need caring for and
that cuts down their margins.
Their aim is to get the puppies
in and out before they die.
Dogs Trust veterinary director
Paula Boyden said: ‘The
implications of the puppy
smuggling trade are huge - for
consumers who are being duped
and the puppies that suffer
horribly, plus the risk of disease
that is kicking at our shores.’
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Puppy Smugglers Reaping Rewards
of High Demand