French bulldogs ‘top list of illegally imported breeds’
More than half (54 per cent) of dogs suspected of being illegally imported were French bulldogs.
A new survey of vets suggests that French bulldogs are topping the list of breeds most commonly suspected of being illegally imported.
The BVA’s Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey found that three in 10 vets (29 per cent) thought they had seen puppies that were unlawfully imported into the UK.
Of these, more than half (54 per cent) were French bulldogs, while 24 per cent were pugs and 18 per cent ‘designer’ crossbreeds, such as cockapoos. Other breeds mentioned included dachshunds, Chihuahua, shih tzus and poodle crosses.
Nearly three-quarters of vets said their suspicions were raised by the client’s explanation of where the puppy had come from. About half (44 per cent) were told the puppy had been brought from overseas, but the puppy was found to be too young to import legally. In more than a quarter of cases the puppy’s age did not match the information on the pet passport, while a similar percentage of puppies had foreign microchips but were too young to be imported.
Other reasons for suspicion included poorly filled in pet passports, suspicious vaccination records and poor health.
These findings tie in with research done by the Dogs Trust. The charity’s latest puppy smuggling investigation revealed 63 per cent of puppies intercepted at the British border between December 2015 and July 2018 were French bulldogs, pugs, English bulldogs and dachshunds.
Dogs Trust veterinary director Paula Boyden said: “Since the changes to the Pet Travel Scheme in 2012 we have seen a significant increase in the number of underage dogs being brought into the country to be sold to unsuspecting owners. The legislation change meant that puppies should be a minimum of 15 weeks old, but we have seen dogs as young as eight weeks old enduring journeys of over 30 hours in horrendous conditions.
“In most instances, owners are unaware of the horrors of their puppy’s early life, but we’re urging them to carefully consider the dog, where they’re getting them from and most importantly to walk away if they have any concerns. Importantly, they also need to flag any concerns to Trading Standards.
“By increasing the number of cases reported we stand a greater chance of Government hearing our pleas for changes to the Pet Travel Scheme to better protect the welfare of all dogs.”
Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.
