Dogs Trust, with the help of Animal Rights Protection Lithuania, has undertaken two investigations looking at the illegal import of puppies across the EU.

1. The Puppy Smuggling Scandal
An investigation into the illegal
smuggling of puppies

2. Background
Dogs Trust became
concerned about the no.
of puppies coming in from
Eastern Europe illegally
after changes to the Pet
Travel Scheme (EU
legislation) in 2012

3. Background
• We warned Defra who believed much of the
trade was anecdotal and they wanted
evidence before taking action
• Our objective was to obtain this evidence and
develop a campaign that was impossible for
Defra and enforcement agencies to ignore

4. Investigation - Strategy
• This campaign would not have been successful by purely
focusing on the welfare issues to dogs through puppy
smuggling.
• Recognised dog welfare is low down the list of government
priorities.
• We needed to show the wider implications of puppy
trafficking to human health through the introduction of
disease and utilise the fact that other relevant bodies such as
the transport carriers themselves, the quarantine kennels and
Trading Standards all were concerned about this growing
issue.
• We had to move it from being a dog welfare issue to a border
control issue and ‘demonise’ the puppy traffickers who were
getting rich from flouting the law.

5. The Investigation - Audience
• We had four distinct audiences we needed to
engage with our campaign in order to bring about
change:
• Defra and the influencers able to apply pressure
to them
• Organisations involved in the trade including the
transport carriers
• The veterinary profession in the UK
• The UK dog loving population

6. 1st Investigation - Execution
• Brought in the knowledge and expertise of an undercover,
ethical investigations team
• Identified the main source countries for puppies entering
the UK and obtained documentary evidence of puppies
being sold and transported to the UK from these countries
• Worked with partner charities in those countries
• Gained an understanding of border control operations at
Eurotunnel and the Port of Dover
• Set up a fake website to engage with dealers in other
countries
• Obtained documentary proof of the UK abuses of the Pet
Travel Scheme by seeking out illegal dealers who are selling
puppies in the UK

7. The Puppy Smuggling Scandal
• 1st undercover investigation
focussed on Lithuania and
Hungary
• Report launched in
November 2014

8. Key findings
• Breeders and dealers in Lithuania and Hungary using
the Pet Travel Scheme for the commercial importation
of puppies into Great Britain
• Unscrupulous vets falsifying data on pet passports
• Breeders and dealers from Lithuania and Hungary
supplying young puppies under the legal age they can
be imported, potentially rendering their rabies
vaccinations invalid (if they had even been vaccinated)
• Ineffective border controls and enforcement at British
ports

10. December 2014 – changes to
legislation
• A new minimum age of 12 weeks before a
pet can be vaccinated against rabies
• New pet passports which contain laminated
strips and a requirement for more contact
details to be provided by the vet issuing the
document
• A new requirement for all EU Member
States to carry out non-discriminatory
checks

11. Puppy Smuggling: the scandal
continues
• 2nd undercover
investigation after changes
to the pet movement
legislation came into force in
December 2014
• Focussed on Lithuania and
Romania
• Report released in July 2015

12. Key findings
• Breeders and dealers in Lithuania and Romania using the
Pet Travel Scheme for the commercial importation of
puppies into Great Britain, despite the recent
introduction of changes designed to strengthen the
scheme
• Vets in Lithuania and Romania continuing to falsify data
on pet passports
• Breeders and traders from Lithuania and Romania
continuing to supply young puppies - with dates of birth
simply being faked on pet passports
• Ineffective border controls and enforcement at British
ports – successfully smuggled a fake dog through British
ports three times without a visual check

13. Story on the ground - Lithuania
• “Pedigree” dogs sold at the market, internet,
pet shops
• Average price 150 – 300 EUR
• ~1700 “pedigree” puppies adverts on main
advertising website
• Legislation on commercial dog breeders to be
registered at State vet service, not
implemented

14. Investigation on the ground -
Lithuania
• Making calls following puppy adverts, going to
the markets
• Visiting veterinarians, asking to issue false
passports
• Asking mini van drivers to take puppies with
the false passports to UK
• ~ 150 EUR cost to organize false passport and
transport a puppy to UK

15. Urgent Recommendations
• Government must develop an immediate action plan to address the abuse
of PETS
• Ban the import of puppies under 6 months from entering the UK under
PETS by extending post-vaccination wait period from 3 weeks to 3 months
• Improve the robustness of checks at ports – visual checks of all dogs and
intelligence-led physical checks where necessary
• Cross agency working to develop an intelligence system and share data on
illegally traded commercial consignments of animals
• The creation of a centrally accessible database logging microchip numbers
of pets entering the UK
• Introduction of a fixed penalty charge for those caught illegally importing
puppies into the UK
• EU legislation requiring the compulsory identification and registration of
dogs which is linked to an EU database

16. Investigation – UK Outcomes
• We’ve turned ‘anecdotal’ evidence into irrefutable proof which has
enabled us ensure Defra can not ignore the issue of puppy smuggling.
• 28,750 page views for our fake advert alerting potential dog owners about
the risks of online puppy purchasing
• Invited by Trading Standards to work with them on delivering training to
their network of officers about identifying and responding to a trafficked
pup
• The media interest in our investigations have been very strong. 2nd
investigation launched in the Mail on Sunday. First report achieved 207
pieces of coverage with an OTS of 68,703,615.
• Support from the carriers and charities
• DEFRA now recognise there is an issue and is engaging – HUGE step
forward!
• European Commission has also changed its position

17. Investigation – Lithuania Outcomes
• All vets banned to issue pet passports for 6
month (with possibility to expand period)
• 9 vets suspended to issue pet passports up to
12 months after the end of the ban
• 7 got fines or warnings
• 4 breeders fined
• Training on pet passport regulations

19. Thank You
To view the footage in full please visit
https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/press-materials/