On March 19, inHaute-Saône, eastern France, a traffic of dogs was shut down by the SPA (French equivalent of the RSPCA or ASPCA). The 150 animals, namely Bulldogs and Pugs, were in the process of being imported from Slovakia to be sold on LeBonCoin (French equivalent of Craigslist). A couple has been placed in custody for illegal trafficking.It's been just over a year since the SPA began investigating this dog trafficking. Accompanied by the national veterinary brigade along with numerous veterinary services, the SPA finally managed to gather enough evidence to arrest the man, formerly a vet.
Picture of a pug - Source: HESZTER/PIXABAY
The man, aged 72, a vet struck off for misconduct, and his wife, aged 56, imported the dogs illegally from Slovakia when they were just 3 months old to sell them on the French market.Trafficking is apparently a very lucrative activity, according to Emmanual Dupic, Prosecutor of the Republic. They would have made around 150,000 euros ($185,000) from when they started in 2015. He also said:
The Bulldogs were bought for 480 € in Slovakia and resold in France for 850 € on LeBonCoin and the Pugs for 370 € and sold for 750 €. The couple were delivering 10 to 20 puppies, four to five times a year, to a farm in Marney (Haute-Saône), by a person who brought the dogs directly from Slovakia.
At the time of the arrest, which took place in a farm shed, 19 dogs (11 Bulldogs and 8 Pugs) were present. They were taken away by the SPA, who then placed them in shelters. They are currently waiting for the dogs to be handed over by the dealer.
Picture of a Bulldog - Source: hyperassur
An investigation has been launched with the former veterinarian as well as his partner, with them possibly having to face up to five years in prison for transporting the dogs in conditions that "don't comply with sanitary or protective conditions".
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