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The hidden truth of the cross-border puppy trade

Why we're supporting the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill...

Bringing a new puppy into the family can be an exciting time, but for some, the journey they experience in finding their forever home can be full of pain and suffering.  

As a nation of animal lovers, the population of dogs in the UK increased year after year over the last decade (1.5 million growth between 2023-2024 alone).  

Sadly, this demand presents an ongoing opportunity for unethical breeders and traders in the devastating cross-border puppy trade. 

Bred in appalling conditions, puppies are often subjected to mutilations like ear cropping, which is illegal in the UK, and made to endure cross-border journeys for up to 33 hours as they travel to unsuspecting new families.  

Travelling at such a young age poses not only a risk to the individual puppy as they are unlikely to have been vaccinated, but also to the 13.5 million dogs living in the UK due to the potential spread of illnesses like parvovirus, brucella and giardia.  

Pregnant dogs are also being made to suffer arduous journeys before giving birth to their puppies here in the UK and avoid the travel restrictions associated with the movement of young dogs. 

a graphic stating that puppies can can be subjected to ear cropping etc.

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“Underage, sedated and exhausted; these are not words anyone wants to use to describe their companion animal. Yet, tragically, this is the heartless reality for thousands of animals caught up in the cross-border puppy trade."

Sonul Badiani-Hamment, FOUR PAWS UK Country Director

Animal Friends Insurance is proud to back Danny Chambers’ Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill. 

Danny Chambers MP has seen the impact this can have first-hand, working as a vet before being elected as an MP and decided to use his Private Members Bill to make a change.  

The Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill seeks to close puppy smuggling loopholes and crackdown on this appalling exploitation.  It would give the UK the ability to limit the numbers of animals an individual or a vehicle can bring into the country at one time and ban the import of puppies and kittens under six months, as well as dogs and cats that are mutilated or heavily pregnant. 

Find out more about how you can support the Bill, plus see the current FOUR PAWS campaign in Westminster Tube Station exposing the harsh reality of this dark, hidden trade, by visiting FOUR-PAWS.ORG.UK/PUPPYSMUGGLING.

Whilst the Bill becoming legislation is vital, this is not the end of the fight.

 

 

The Social Media Impact 

Between September 2023 and June 2024, FOUR PAWS investigated the sale of puppies on social media platforms Facebook and Instagram. The findings were worrying:

  • 167 Facebook groups surveyed across Europe, with 96 featuring unverifiable puppy ads with a combined audience of 389,000+ members.
  • 179 Instagram profiles reviewed, with 57 having unverifiable puppy ads and a combined audience of 138,000+ followers.  
  • In June 2024, the combined audience of Facebook groups with suspected illicit puppy sales exceeded 600,000 members. 

The boom of the social media pet trade is just one example of the lengths unethical breeders will go to in order to exploit our love of companion animals. However, Animal Friends Insurance will continue to work alongside FOUR PAWS to raise awareness of how we can be the voice of animals in need and drive forward positive change.