Animals
Federal Office warns against illegal pet trade
Animals that are offered for sale or put up for adoption should always be handed over to the new owner with a valid EU pet passport. photo
© Paul Zinken/dpa
During a large number of checks, authorities discovered cases of fraud in the trade in dogs and cats. How can buyers protect themselves from illegally smuggled puppies?
During nationwide controls in the fight against the illegal pet trade, local authorities reported a large number of cases of fraud. The Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety in Berlin announced that 1,686 cases of fraud were identified in a total of 1,985 checks. That’s almost 85 percent of cases.
The checks were carried out as part of an EU-wide campaign at breeders, animal owners, animal shelters and veterinarians, but also during road and border checks in Germany between July 2022 and July 2023. The The Federal Office coordinated the campaign in Germany and sent fraud reports to a European rapid warning system. An EU report with the results was presented in December.
Violations and problems
The puppies were often too young during the checks, said Mandy Le, project coordinator at the Federal Office. In many cases, commercial transport was disguised as private transport. In many cases, fake pet ID cards and rabies reports could also be detected, she said.
The illegal trade in dogs and cats also promotes the possible spread of zoonoses, i.e. diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Rabies or certain tapeworms could be transmitted to humans. The last case of rabies occurred only about two and a half years ago in an illegally imported puppy from Turkey in Bremen, said Klaus Lorenz, head of the food hygiene, inspections and veterinary affairs department at the Federal Office. If people become infected and the disease breaks out, it is fatal, he said.
Recommendations for buying pets
When buying a dog or cat, consumers should also make sure that the animals are only purchased from trustworthy sources. According to the Federal Office, animals that are offered for sale or put up for adoption should always be handed over to the new owner with a valid EU pet passport. The age of a puppy must also be taken into account: “If the animal comes to Germany from another EU member state, it should be at least 15 weeks old,” said project coordinator Le.
The Federal Office also warns buyers against handing over the animal in unusual places such as highways, parking lots or gas stations. The animals are usually brought to Germany from Romania, Hungary and Poland.
The Federal Office also spoke out in favor of better official cooperation. In particular, the exchange between law enforcement, customs and veterinary authorities must be intensified, the Federal Office said. In addition, judicial authorities should be made aware of the extent of fraud in the pet trade.