Yesterday in Parliament I got to meet with the Dogs Trust as part of their campaign to highlight the urgent need for greater scrutiny and enforcement regarding anti-puppy smuggling legislation.
It was shocking to hear the team recount some of the most audacious, flagrant, and dangerous lengths that puppy smugglers have gone to in order to illegally bring puppies – and indeed pregnant mothers – into the country. Equally eye-opening was the recent Dogs Trust investigation that saw two toy dogs being smuggled into the country under two legal dog chips – with no oversight or checks! In fact, at present, there is no requirement for ferry or Eurotunnel staff to even have to see the dogs that are being imported.
On the flipside, the Dogs Trust has several steps that the Government can take, both simple and more advanced, to put an end to the dangerous and exploitative actions of puppy smugglers. These include easily introducing visual checks at the border.
Whilst there, I was glad to be able to underline my own support for new tougher measures, pledging to work closely with colleagues in Government to ensure upcoming legislation would be targeted and aimed fully at stopping the smuggling once and for all.
You can find out more about the Dogs Trust campaign to end puppy smuggling here: Help Us End Puppy Smuggling | Dogs Trust.