TRADING Standards are warning potential puppy buyers to be aware of illegal sales following a number of complaints about puppies bought online.
Worcestershire Regulatory Services officers are investigating claims that some puppies are older than their potential owners are being told, and sellers are misleading buyers by telling them the dogs have been bred in the UK when in fact they were brought in from abroad.
In recent cases owners have bought puppies believing they are eight weeks old when in reality they turn out to be closer to 15 weeks, some had non-UK microchips but had no proof the dogs were brought into the country legally.
The age and origin of puppies are important because they help to ensure they haven’t been farmed or sold illegally.
Illegally imported dogs may have been taken away from their mother too early, transported over long distances in bad conditions and received no vaccinations.
WRS Joint Committee Chairman, Coun Bronwen, said: “A pet passport should show that an imported dog is at least 15 weeks old, which is probably one reason why an unscrupulous puppy seller would not give the pet passport to the new owners.
“They could have been imported at too young an age, which would be illegal, or falsely passed off as a younger animal bred in the UK.
“Unregulated transport focusing on profit and not welfare means illegally imported puppies can endure unsuitable conditions on long journeys to the UK, often for hundreds of miles.”
