The initiative called “Welpen sind keine Ware” or “Puppies are not Commodities,” involving the German Kennel Club, the German animal welfare organization TASSO, and DOGS Magazine joins forces to expose and thereby reveal to the public the hidden realities of the illegal puppy trade.
Under Undeserving Conditions
In Europe, the centers of puppy factories are mainly located in the eastern region from Poland to Ukraine. From this region, a steady flow of puppies treated as commodities circulates to every part of the European continent.
Dog breeding takes place in large puppy factories, often within farm operations in backyards and dark barns, where puppies are “produced” on an assembly line. They usually spend their short lives in conditions that completely contradict animal welfare principles.
The parents spend their short lives imprisoned in dark cellars and stables, with only the basic necessities required for survival provided to them. These dogs know humans only as dark shadows who grab them with rough hands in the flashlight’s beam. The females are continuously injected with hormones, and the puppies are sold at a very early age.
Puppies are taken from their mother between 4-7 weeks old, placed into cages, and then stacked cage by cage up to the roof of small trucks. Under-immunized, malnourished, sick, and frightened puppies regularly start their journey westward in trucks with rotating crews, heading towards dog lovers who sometimes do not even know that they will soon buy puppies. Only when walking through markets in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany and seeing the unhappy faces of puppies crammed into boxes do they pity them and purchase them at discounted prices.
Belgium and the Netherlands as Target Countries of the Puppy Trade
If Eastern Europe is the continent’s production center, Belgium and the Netherlands are the hubs of distribution. This is where wholesalers who sell puppies that survived the exhausting journey are found. Through them, the puppies end up in pet shops, markets, and finally in families.
The true extent of illegal trade is difficult to estimate because reliable data is not available. In an interview conducted with animal welfare activists and the former Dutch Minister of Agriculture, Cees Verman, it was stated that two-thirds of puppies sold in the Netherlands come from Eastern European puppy factories. In Belgium, the proportion is even higher, more than 80%.
Dutch regulations favor the puppy trade. Why is this the case in these countries? Because Dutch criminal law does not apply to the dog trade, it is not considered a crime. Every veterinarian has the right to rewrite the passports of puppies coming from abroad into Dutch ones. Thus, the puppy is no longer considered an imported dog from the East, but an animal originating from the Netherlands. This is important for many resellers. However, in Belgium, re-labeling used in the dog trade is considered an illegal process, yet it still goes unchecked.
The heart of the puppy trade beats in the border region between the Netherlands and Belgium. From here, the live cargo is shipped to other European countries. After they are provided with fresh papers, they go back to Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, where these puppies end up in pet store cages or, in worse cases, in the clutches of illegally operating puppy mafias.
There is nothing illegal about trading puppies if it complies with animal protection laws regarding vaccinations and European transport political guidelines. This way, some breeders can sell their animals domestically and abroad. Unvaccinated and untreated dogs appear across Europe, and many cases involve forgery of puppy ages in vaccination books based on years of experience. These machinations do not bother anyone because puppies advertised at promotional prices are incredibly sought after. Just go to the markets in various cities, and for a discounted price, anyone can become a new dog owner.
Dangerous diseases
The "discount" dogs bought in this way, at markets, carry some risk, as problems appear quickly with them. Puppies often become ill and die in terrible pain. The underdeveloped immune system has no chance against parvovirus and other infectious diseases. Inadequate preventive healthcare often leads to the fact that the dog becomes seriously ill after a few days or weeks. Thus, dogs currently not vaccinated are particularly at risk of infectious parvovirus disease between 16 weeks and 2 years of age, which can be fatal. Often, the cost of treatment can range between €1000 and €2500.
The possible consequences are dangerous for both humans and animals. Experts fear that diseases and epidemics could return with illegally imported animals. “Europe is practically free of the rabies virus, but in the Baltic states, Russia, Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and North Africa, there are still regions where the virus is widely spread,” warns Uwe Truyen, professor of animal hygiene and epidemic diseases at the University of Leipzig. The rabies virus is dangerous not only for animals but also for humans: “If this disease breaks out, in every case without exception it is fatal.”
The risks of behavioral disorders
This not only carries the risk of possible diseases but also the risk arising from improper breeding. "But my opinion about behavioral disorders is even more serious," says Sylvia Heesen from the Veterinary Association's Animal Protection Authority (TVT). Since the puppy did not experience the necessary socialization during the first weeks, which shapes its future life. For example, it does not know and is not familiar with everyday environmental sounds and noises because it lived carelessly and heedlessly in a cage, it will react nervously and fearfully to environmental noises while walking, and as a consequence, aggression quickly develops. And then it already poses a danger to humans as well. This problem can also be observed with stray dogs roaming holiday resorts – and experts warn about this regarding dogs purchased from pet shops selling animals as commodities.
According to “AG Welpenhandel”: “50% of cheaply acquired dogs are seriously ill”
Buying a "cheap" puppy sold by dubious dog dealers still poses a risk. Surveys show that half of the dogs acquired through a "bargain" are sick enough to require veterinary help. In such cases, veterinary costs can exceed, and even surpass, approximately €1000. This is one of the results of a survey conducted among dog owners by the "AG Welpenhandel" organization.
"The survey was conducted with the participation of 336 dog owners and clearly shows that dubious puppy trade still exists," says Philip McCreight, an employee of TASSO – Europe's leading animal welfare organization.
The Internet is by far the largest dog market
Anyone who has browsed the internet has experienced that everything is available with just a few clicks and a phone call. Is a birthday present delayed for the little boy who has long wanted a dog? And what would be better, to go pick it up or to have it brought on site? The delivery will be immediate, and the handover will take place in a parking lot. The Internet is by far the largest dog market; a puppy can be bought through it faster than a book. Three, two, one, and it is already mine.
A very particular thorn in the side for experts is the puppies offered for sale via the internet. According to McCreight: “51% of respondents started their puppy purchase through online adverts.” 40% of respondents have purchased from more or less reputable breeders, and 28% from puppy dealers. Only 11% have adopted dogs from animal welfare organizations. Udo Kopernik, spokesperson for VDH, sees the chance to reduce puppy trade in widespread education: “Every market is driven by demand! As long as there are people blinded by an alleged special offer, there will be fraudulent dealers who exploit this.”
As McCreight explains, he would like the “working group against puppy trade” to gather irrefutable evidence against dubious dog dealers in the coming years, thus intensifying its activity. “We, animal lovers, do not just talk,” says McCreight, “we represent the people and receive support from government representatives in our campaign.” Petra Zipp, CEO of BMT, adds: “A dog is not a commodity that a person casually buys and then returns if not satisfied. Therefore, lawmakers must take measures as soon as possible to curb the puppy trade.”
IFAW also raises its voice against illegal trade
Surprising information for those who dislike the above-mentioned circumstances, including animal welfare activists. The “The International Fund for Animal Welfare” (abbreviated IFAW), in Hungarian “A Nemzetközi Állatjóléti Alap”, the world's largest animal welfare organization uniquely, launched a secret investigation in 2008. The activists tracked a wholesaler who is one of the big "players" in the Netherlands and who created an illegal network around himself. The IFAW researchers posed as resellers who were approached as business partners.
“Do you buy puppies legally or illegally?” – asked one trader into the hidden camera. “Is it possible in any way?” – came another question. During their research, animal welfare activists investigated a Hungarian supplier involved in smuggling 100 puppies per week. During the investigation, dozens of empty vaccination books signed by a veterinarian and pre-labelled without chip numbers were found. The vaccination books will be assigned to each smuggled dog.
The animal welfare activists learned that during travel across Europe, 5-6 puppies die every hour. The loss is factored into the pricing by wholesalers. Regular customers arrive at the wholesaler on Friday afternoons for the newly arrived puppies, which are then offered for sale the next day over the internet with this message: “Our dog has a puppy for sale.” Resellers only write this much in the ads and inquiries can be made via a single mobile phone number. Resellers' prices vary greatly, ranging from 60 Euros to 600 Euros.
There are also cases when a puppy mafia has been known for a long time, thanks to numerous reports about them in the media and the educational work of animal welfare organizations. Cautious buyers want to see the puppy together with the mother before purchasing. They know that a puppy from a good breeding cannot cost 400 Euros. But traders learn; many create a background for this “business”, establish a cover family farm where they can show the dogs to buyers. However, often the females shown to buyers this way bear no relation to the purchased puppy and noticeably don’t even nurse. Fake pedigrees are made for puppies offered for sale, then marked with various breeders’ club signals which are not recognized by the umbrella organization VDH.
The puppy mafia lives on, and it is not just made up of occasional promoters offering dogs from “good families” for sale, which then buyers don’t want to pay for. Unfortunately, a certain segment of people does not care if an animal suffers, like the 12-week-old small furball who sits in a woman’s arm looking sadly and grateful for even the little affection. No one knows better than Birgit Thies, who has led the campaign against illegal puppy trade at the “4 Paws” foundation animal welfare organization for 4 years, how much a puppy sold on such a market costs. The animal welfare activist was at a market in Poland and acted as if interested in buying. Behind her, a small crew from the Norwegian Television Station recorded the scene with a hidden camera. The German-looking trader says, 10 Euros. The animal welfare activist shakes her head. Then only 5 Euros, says the trader. It cannot be less – he adds. The activist does not look at the trader but reaches for the puppy. The man’s hand grabs the puppy and puts it back into the box where a whole litter is stranded. Even 5 Euros is too much. “This is the worst moment,” says the animal rights activist. “I know that the puppy will not survive the night if it doesn’t leave for 5 Euros,” their spark of life will go out. They can’t do much if they want to save the puppy. On this basis, it can be assumed that the entire industry is built on pity.
Buying only helps criminals
The cheaply bought dog has dubious origin, so this cannot be considered harmless. Even if the requested price seems low, still, the raising of dogs is far below the financed price and one must reckon that after birth they live in miserable conditions. Dogs may suffer from dangerous diseases due to lack of socialization. Every buyer who purchases a cheap puppy keeps the puppy trade going and thus inevitably becomes an accomplice.
The illegal trade of animals is among the world's five largest criminal businesses. Alongside the illegal trade of exotic animals, the trade of pets also flourishes.
New EU legal regulation could be the solution
Animal welfare organizations, such as “IFAW” or “Négy Mancs”, have no choice but to reconsider the EU regulation. Negotiations are already underway in Brussels about stricter regulation of cross-border dog trade. The law will make microchip identification and registration mandatory. In the long run, this could be the solution against illegal puppy trade.
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