RSPCA warns of rabies threat from illegally imported puppies
The RSPCA has warned that the threat of rabies in Britain could go up 60 fold, after calls to the charity about the puppy trade went up by 33% last year.
Following the report by Britain’s biggest animal welfare charity showing the huge rise in the numbers of dogs being imported from eastern Europe, MPs are now discussing measures to halt this illegal trade before an outbreak of disease such as rabies.
MPs will discuss the increasing problems of the European puppy trade during a 10 Minute Rule Bill in the House of Commons tomorrow, when Jim Fitzpatrick will call for fixed penalty notices for anyone caught bringing in dogs illegally.
It comes after The puppy trade from Europe: controls are failing – an RSPCA report released earlier this month – argued the Government should take over the enforcement of legislation from ferry companies to protect Britain from rabies and other diseases potentially harboured by puppies imported with false vaccination certificates.
The report makes the claim that the threat of rabies could go up, based on information obtained from Defra.
David Bowles, the RSPCA’s head of public affairs, said: “Too many people importing puppies from eastern Europe are more concerned about their profit than the health risks their actions carry.
“They are importing popular breeds such as French bulldogs and pugs from puppy farms in eastern Europe by claiming they are personal pets, before selling them to unsuspecting buyers who are unaware of the health risks these animals pose.
“We hope the discussion in Parliament during the 10 Minute Rule Bill will show the Minister the extent of concerns among politicians and that he will use his power to make positive change and address the increased risk of rabies returning to our shores.”
Since 2012, quarantine ceased for most dogs entering the UK for any non-commercial purpose. A limit was set to five dogs per person to stop commercial traders taking advantage of the relaxed rules.
But it is now clear that many dogs have been illegally brought into Britain without the right documents, and are declared incorrectly as non-commercial before they are sold through the internet. Others are not being declared at all due to the lack of enforcement at ports.
In 2012 imports of dogs from Hungary increased on the previous year by 450%, from Romania by 1,150% and from Lithuania by 507%. Rabies is present in all of these countries, where widespread puppy farming is commonplace.
“Commercial puppy dealers are using the relaxed controls to make a sizeable profit at the expense of UK’s disease controls. The Government needs to address this quickly by taking back control of imported dogs from the ferry companies and stamp down on the illegal trade.” added James Yeates, the RSPCA’s chief veterinarian.
The puppy trade from Europe: controls are failing makes five recommendations:
· The Government should increase spot checks at ports in Dover and Holyhead to enforce the rules on non-commercial trade in dogs. This should focus on falsified or inaccurate paperwork.
· Responsibility for checking the PETS systems to be passed from the ferry companies to the statutory border control agency.
· The Government should update the risk modelling from 2010 on the import of rabies in light of the increase in trade of dogs from eastern Europe.
· The Government should start proactive liaison with the European Commission and the veterinary authorities in Lithuania, Hungary, Poland and Romania to assess and reduce the risk of fraudulent pet passport certificates being issued.
· The Government should focus resources on dogs being offered for sale on the internet to assess if they comply with the Pet Animals Act 1951 and that they have been imported legally under the commercial rules rather than the non-commercial PETS scheme.
The RSPCA is appealing for people to contact Defra to demand better enforcement and to clamp down on the illegal importation of puppies into Britain.
For more details visit our campaigns page www.rspca.org.uk/puppytrade
Notes to editors:
1. The RSPCA received a total of 2,229 calls about puppy farms and trafficking in 2013, compared to 1,678 in 2012. This was an increase of 33%.
2. RSPCA investigations into the puppy trade in the UK confirm that controls are being evaded. In 2013 53,011 dogs were imported from 27 EU member states. In 2011 this number was around 27,000.
3. A full copy of the report can be found at www.rspca.org.uk/puppytrade
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