“After the number of puppy advertisements fell by an average of 67 percent at the time of the lockdown, an upward trend can now be seen again. The government must no longer turn a blind eye to the urgent need for action! Illegal puppy traders can only be excluded from the market and the huge animal suffering end if there is a requirement for animal sellers to be verified and for the dogs on offer to be registered.”
In the case of individual trend breeds, such as pugs, there was an increase of 57 percent on eBay classifieds in June alone after the opening of the borders. If you look at the ads for puppies in general, the upward trend is already 14.73 percent. «We expect that this number will continue to rise, because a puppy is not produced overnight and the demand for dogs is still incredibly high. After the borders were closed for weeks, the puppy factories are now producing again,» says Schneider.
The picked up puppy transports show that the illegal puppy trade is flourishing again. The police stopped a minibus from Hungary near Augsburg. On board: six puppies too young to be transported across the border. The police stopped a sprinter from Bulgaria near Offenburg. The driver was transporting puppies that were far too young and were in a pitiful condition. The smuggler even admitted to carrying out illegal dog transport on a regular basis. In Berlin, a woman sold sick puppies on eBay classifieds. Many of these dogs later died with their new owners. “This case is just one of many, but it shows the depths of the puppy trade. Helpless puppies are bartered, consumers are deceived and hearts are broken. As long as criminal sellers can act anonymously and without reliable traceability on online portals such as eBay classifieds, this cruel business will continue,” says Schneider.
Even when the borders were closed, puppy traders from Eastern Europe were active. In the middle of the Corona period, ADAC employees discovered 99 puppies intended for the Belgian market while towing a Hungarian van near Würzburg. 15 dogs were far too young to be transported and were housed at the Würzburg animal shelter. For some puppies, the hardships were too much and they died in the shelter.
“What the little creatures in the illegal puppy trade have to go through in their young lives is horrible. The puppies are produced in puppy factories under terrible conditions. They are separated from their mother far too early and taken across the German border in cramped boxes, where they are usually sold on online platforms. Politicians must finally live up to their responsibility and end this animal suffering. The Federal Ministry has had proposals for solutions for months, which are supported by online platforms, animal rights activists and serious breeders. So far, however, nothing has happened,» emphasizes Schneider.
You can find the comparative analysis by here to download.
Daniela Schneider, campaign manager for pets at , is available for interviews.
You can find more information about the model solution from here.
Anyone who comes into contact with dubious puppy dealers or makes suspicious observations can use the page www.stoppuppytraders.org Report to . There you will also find information for a responsible puppy purchase.