Toby Perkins MP highlights plight of smuggled puppies imported to fuel the Christmas puppy trade.

Toby Perkins, MP for Chesterfield met with the Dog’s Trust at its annual House of Commons reception, where the charity – who coined the famous slogan ‘A dog is for Life, not just for Christmas’ – asked MPs for their support in the fight against Puppy Smuggling.

Underage puppies are being illegally imported into Great Britain from Central and Eastern Europe, and sold to unsuspecting members of the public. Over the last few months, nearly 100 dogs were seized by APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency) at the borders, as dealers take advantage of the increased demand for puppies in the run up to Christmas. Dogs Trust has found that of the puppies who do survive the appalling conditions they are forced to travel in, many require emergency treatment – with dehydration and malnutrition among the horrific conditions they suffer from as a result of travelling for thousands of miles in cramped conditions, with no food or water.

Toby said:

“I’m very pleased to support Dogs Trust in raising awareness of the plight of illegally imported puppies, who suffer the most harrowing of journeys at the hands of these unscrupulous dealers. It’s imperative that the Government takes immediate action by enforcing proper checks at the ports and on-the-spot fines to deter these breeders and dealers, as well as introducing revised legislation as a priority when the UK leaves the EU. I really hope this will help to effectively regulate pet travel.”