Almost 100 puppies were rescued at Holyhead Port in the early hours of Tuesday morning, as part of a Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-led, multi-agency operation tackling illegal animal importation.
The incident has been labelled a “shocking example” of the scale of the puppy trade, with the puppies – of various breeds including Beagles, Basset Hounds, Labradoodles and Pomeranians – treated as “cash bonanza” for organised criminal groups.
Following an intelligence-led move, two consignments of puppies were intercepted by Border Force as part of the partnership-driven operation. They were on two separate ferries arriving at Holyhead from Dublin on 15 November. On the second vehicle, an attempt had been made to conceal the transported puppies behind bales of wood shavings.
The puppies were travelling in hugely inappropriate conditions, with modes of transport not ventilated, food and water not provided and the animals often kept in filthy conditions. Most were believed to be six or seven weeks old.
After an initial veterinary inspection, the puppies were deemed fit to travel back, and were returned to the Republic of Ireland, where they are now in DSPCA care. Sadly, two were later identified to have developed canine parvovirus and are under veterinary care, but the other dogs will soon be available for re-homing.
Ian Briggs, of RSPCA’s special operations unit, said:
“These poor puppies were being carted into Wales in deeply inappropriate conditions in the early hours of the morning.
“Sadly, to unscrupulous dealers, these young pups are nothing more than a cash bonanza – and dealers would have been targeting tens of thousands of pounds from these shipments.
“This is another shocking example of people being readily prepared to act illegally and compromise the welfare of defenceless animals to make a quick buck – but, fortunately, they were stopped in their tracks.”
(Bloomberg) — Constellation Oil Services Holding SA’s bondholders are reaping a windfall due to increased demand for the company’s offshore rigs from Petroleo Brasileiro SA, a sharp recovery for a...
SINGAPORE, April 11 (Reuters) – Spot marine biofuel premiums have weakened further at the world’s largest bunker hub Singapore, weighed by slow demand, market sources said this week. Premiums for the flagship...
SYDNEY/WELLINGTON, April 10 (Reuters) – The U.S. Coast Guard has rejected comments by a Chinese diplomat that its recent boardings of Chinese fishing boats in the Pacific Islands alongside local police are illegal, saying...
April 10, 2024
Total Views: 4508
Why Join the gCaptain Club?
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.