Update on the 25 Slovakian puppies & details of The Puppy Smuggling Scandal reports
Submitted by Steve on 17:04, 7th Sep, 2015 |
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On Thursday of last week two people were in Guernsey Magistrate Court for animal cruelty and fraud to hear their verdicts.
A 59-year-old man from the Slovak Republic was found guilty of animal cruelty and fraud and fined a total of £2,700. He was told that the fine must be paid from custody or he would serve the alternative of 14 days in prison.
7 of the puppies under section 70 of the Animal Welfare Ordnance no longer belong to the man from the Slovak Republic.
The other 18 are being detained at the GSPCA due to the fraudulent passports and their age being younger than stated. This means they will have to have a period of isolation until they are vaccinated against rabies and hold valid pet passports which could take between 5 and 7 weeks.
Some are currently receiving treatments for ailments which they had when they arrived.
Yesterday the States Vet and GSPCA Manager gave an update to the press on the current care of the animals and explained the procedures which are currently being followed.
Steve Byrne GSPCA Manager "We are hugely grateful to all of the donations towards the care of the 25 Slovakian puppies at the GSPCA."
"The GSPCA team are all working around the clock caring for the puppies and they will have to remain isolated until such time that the States Vet is happy they meet Pet Passport legislation."
"Two vets have seen the puppies and both agree a number of them are much younger than is stated on their passports and after the guilty plea for forging the owner signature on the 25 documents for the pups we now have to re-vaccinate them for rabies and follow the Pet Passport protocols."
"At present we are unsure if the 2 people from the Slovak Republic want their 18 puppies back and before they could have them they would have to pay for all costs including daily care and treatments for the pups during the next 5 to 7 weeks, as well as their new Pet Passports."
"We have been informed they have left Guernsey and we are hoping that they will pass ownership over to the GSPCA."
"We have been in touch with Sloboda zvierat an animal welfare organisation in Slovakia who have informed us of their concerns regarding the puppy trade in their country."
"We have had a lot of interest and would like to let everyone know we operate a list for those looking to adopt animals from the Shelter and those in need can be seen on our website."
"For anyone looking to adopt a dog from the GSPCA you need to complete an adoption questionnaire which can be seen on our website or picked up at the front desk, but we already have a long list of names of families and homes looking for dogs."
"A great way to support the care for the puppies is by becoming an Angel Pen Pal sponsor which is a way to donate each month to help the many animals in our care."
"There are many concerns about dogs and puppies being transported across Europe and further afield."
"The GSPCA is a member of the EU Dog and Cat Alliance and in the next few weeks members will be meeting Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in Brussels to discuss the concerns and challenges that face dogs and cats across the EU as well as details of Puppy Smuggling across Europe."
"The Dogs Trust have written a report about the Puppy Smuggling Trade and also in the Express yesterday they reported on Eastern European gangs smuggling dogs into the UK."
"On our Animal Welfare Seafront Sunday this weekend we are hoping to have a collection point and display of pictures of the puppies for visitors to find out more details."
"We have had an amazing response to the towel appeal and thank the Homemaker Co-op in St Sampsons for volunteering to be a drop off point."
"The best way to support the care of the pups is by becoming an Angel Pen Pal sponsor as this means you can help them each month whilst they are with us and the many other animals in our care."
"We thank everyone for their continued support and will update with further details as soon as we can."
Here is a summary of the key actions from the Dogs Trust on-the-ground investigation work -
• Successfully smuggled a fake dog without a visual check at British borders in three out of four attempts
• Filmed three breeders in Lithuania, all of whom sold us puppies under the age of 12 weeks and arranged for passports to be issued via their own vet contacts
• Obtained eight passports from seven vets in Lithuania who falsified data on the passports in order to enable puppies under the age of 15 weeks to travel to Great Britain
• Filmed a vet in Lithuania who suggested giving a sedative to a puppy before travelling, implying that this is a way to smuggle a puppy through border controls unnoticed • Filmed seven vets in Romania,two of whom stated that they could falsify passport information for us (including one for a nine week old puppy)
• Filmed five breeders in Romania who had sold puppies to the UK in the past, all of whom said they could arrange fake passports for underage dogs
• Contacted one further breeder in Romania by phone who said he could arrange passports for eight week old puppies
• Visited nine sellers/breeders from Lithuania, Hungary and the Czech Republic selling puppies (via advertisement on UK classified websites) that had recently come over from Eastern Europe under PETS to be sold in the UK
If you are looking to adopt an animal and to complete an adoption form please click here.
To raise sponsorship and join our Giant Animal Mascot Race for free at our Animal Welfare Seafront Sunday please click here.
24 hours a day, 7 days a week staff and volunteers work around the clock at the GSPCA to ensure the animals are cared for and those in need can be rescued around Guernsey.
At present with the 25 Slovakian puppies and many other animals at the GSPCA we are continually appealing for animal feed and cleaning products.
One of the wonderful additions that has benefited many animals at the Shelter has been our Wish List which we have both on our website and a link to an Amazon Wish List.
Since launching our Amazon Wish List in October 2012 nearly every week we have had wonderful donations from honey for the hedgehogs to heat lamps to keep those ill nice and warm.
We are currently appealing for local business that wish to support the GSPCA to consider displaying a GSPCA Wish List Star on items that would benefit the animals in our care and to have a collection bin for those items.
By checking out our Wish List items you can see many of the items we use regularly and some which we have a special need for.
Steve Byrne GSPCA Manager said "The GSPCA Wish List has been a fantastic way those wanting to help animals in Guernsey make a real difference."
"We have been in undated with donations to help with the 25 Slovakian puppies, especially second hand towels which are ideal for bedding for them as we have to dispose after each use."
"Many of the items that have been donated are via online web shops and at the GSPCA we would love it if local shops and businesses would get involved by displaying a GSPCA Wish List Star."
"There are some very specialist items on our Wist List but there are items from Hills puppy food to wheelie bins, mops to honey that you can get from many stores around Guernsey."
"If anyone is interested in getting involved please get in touch with me at the Shelter on 257261 or email [email protected]"
Maybe your business would like to help the GSPCA in other ways in 2016, and to find out more information on this please click here.
The GSPCA always needs a variety of toys, equipment and feed which we occasionally source from Amazon due to the very economical prices. If you wanted to buy supplies directly for the GSPCA Animal Shelter then click on the link to Amazon below to find out what we need. Before you do please ensure you are registered with Easyfundraising as you can donate without it costing you anything when you shop online. To find out more on Easyfundraising please click here.
Thank you to everyone that has supported our GSPCA Amazon Wish List.
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To find out about our Events, how to become a Member, Sponsor an Animal Pen, our Wish List, Corporate Sponsorship & Volunteering, , our New Build & Redevelopment Appeal and much more please click here.
There are many ways to support the work of the GSPCA and you can even donate online by clicking the paypal link below.
By post cheques payable to 'GSPCA' - GSPCA, Rue des Truchots, St Andrews, Guernsey, GY6 8UD
Or by phone 01481 257261.
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