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Kinship care celebrated in Liverpool
SEFTON Council are asking residents to
give 'Paws for Thought' to ensure they don't buy illegally
imported puppies, following the culmination of a high profile case in Southport.
The "Paws for Thought" campaign is a bid to educate people about
the financial and emotional dangers of buying illegally imported puppies,
especially in the run up to Christmas. Often illegally imported puppies, which
are not vaccinated against rabies, are only ever discovered when a family take
their new 4 legged friends for their 1st vet visit. At this point the puppy has
to be seized and put in quarantine, with any costs incurred falling on the dog's
owners. Not only is there a significant financial implication, with fees in
excess of ₤1,000, but the act of removing your cute new 4 legged friends can be
extremely distressing and stressful. Under the legislation, any dogs entering
the UK must have been vaccinated against rabies, however, the vaccine will not
work if given to puppies younger than 12 weeks. As a result, Sefton Council's
Trading Standards team are urging those considering buying a puppy to make sure
they know who they are buying from, to check the pup's vaccination history and
always ask to see documentation.
The campaign launches after 5 people were
prosecuted after the Trading Standards team uncovered an illegal puppy smuggling
operation, on Skipton Avenue, Southport. Cllr Paulette Lappin, Sefton Council's
Cabinet Member for Regulation and Compliance, said:- "We don't want people
to have their lovely new puppies taken away from them. But illegally imported
and unvaccinated puppies are an issue, and it is something which can happen in
Sefton as we have seen recently. The puppies we discovered in Southport were
only around 8 weeks old when they were brought into the UK, meaning even if they
had been vaccinated it would not have been effective. Increasing numbers of
puppies are being imported illegally into the UK from puppy farms in Eastern
Europe. These puppies are being sold via adverts on the internet and are
accompanied by false and forged documentation which lead buyers to believe they
have been imported legally or bred in the UK. We want people to be vigilant,
especially in the run up to Christmas when interest in buying puppies is
especially high."
The Paws for Thought campaign advises people to be suspicious if the seller
cannot show you the puppy with its mother and litter mates, as well as:-
► If the puppy has been vaccinated ask to see the
documentation. This must clearly state the veterinary practice where this was
carried out.
► Be suspicious if the address of the veterinary
practice is outside the UK.
► If the puppy has been brought in from outside the
UK, it must be at least 15 weeks old and have a pet passport or a veterinary
certificate.
► Never agree to have the puppy delivered to your home
address or to meet the seller to collect the puppy.
► Never pay for a puppy in advance.
► Report any
concerns using the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on:- 03454 04 05 06
Earlier this year a joint raid by Sefton Council and Merseyside Police at a
Skipton Avenue property discovered seven illegally imported puppies being kept
in a poor condition. Sefton's Trading Standards team had no choice, but to seize
the puppies and put them in quarantine. Fears that the pups were too young to be
vaccinated against rabies were later confirmed and sadly 1 puppy was so ill, it
had to be put to sleep. The remaining 6 puppies were later successfully
re-homed. Cllr Lappin added:- "The case not only shows a blatant
disregard for the law, but put the community at serious risk of the spread of
rabies by illegally importing the dogs. Hopefully, this sends out a strong
message to anyone thinking of acting illegally that they will be caught and
prosecuted. We would like to thank the member of the public that came forward to
report their concerns, and would encourage others to be vigilant in order to
tackle other incidents of a similar nature."
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