A huge number of Swedes have gotten dogs during the pandemic. As demand has increased, this has also led to a record number of smuggled dogs being seized by the Swedish Customs in 2021.
“Not too long ago we found six puppies being transported in a car’s luggage compartment. When we opened the hatch, they were licking the condensation off the inside of the windshield – that’s how thirsty they were. They had been kept loose without relieving themselves, and maybe that’s exactly why they hadn’t been given any food or water,” says Håkan Hansson, deputy head of the Customs Control Department South.
Statistics from the Swedish Customs show a clear increase in attempted dog smuggling in 2021. The agency has compiled figures up to and including October 2021, showing that 483 dogs were seized. That is an increase of more than 100% compared to 2020.
Early on in the pandemic, the Customs’ experts in live animal trade noticed that smugglers were exploiting the growing interest in getting a dog.
During the pandemic, the Customs have warned against buying smuggled dogs and describe how puppies are often bred in dubious animal welfare and disease control conditions, at lower prices than usual. Puppies are frequently taken from their mothers far too early and forced to endure harsh, long transports in both trucks and passenger cars.
“You can find them just about anywhere, and usually they hardly have room to move. It’s not good at all. To these people, the dogs are just merchandise. They don’t care about the dogs themselves,” says Håkan Hansson.
Sadly, the dogs are put down because the transporters are taken into custody.
“But most often the dogs are euthanised because they’re in terrible condition – it’s the more humane option. The vet makes that call, and they don’t put them down if there’s any other solution,” says Håkan.
“Why do people keep buying when they don’t know where the dogs come from? The sellers have become more professional. People are so naive. At some point you also have to ask yourself, ‘Why is this dog so much cheaper?’ The price is connected to something,” he says.
“We hope things will change and that people stop buying from abroad. There was someone who bought a dog that carried a virus, and the vet bills ended up being much higher than the original price of the dog – and then the dog was so sick it had to be put down anyway. You rarely hear success stories; most of the time they’re tragic stories,” concludes Håkan Hansson.
What are we at Skaffa Hund doing to stop the sale of smuggled dogs?
We want a future where dog owners can feel confident about their purchases and where illegal dog smuggling no longer exists. A future where dogs get to live long, peaceful lives.
It is important to us to make sure there are no smuggled dogs for sale through Skaffa Hund. We have therefore developed procedures to ensure safe and smooth sales, reduce the number of fraud cases, and combat smuggling.
We can identify if a seller is trying to post an ad for a smuggled dog, thanks to our many processes and the requirement to log in with Mobile BankID. If something goes wrong, we can support both buyer and seller.
There are usually several red flags when we become suspicious. It might be that the seller claims the dog is registered with the SKK (Swedish Kennel Club), but it is clearly a mixed breed. It might be an attempt to sell a 3–4-month-old puppy, or to sell it at a significantly lower price than normal.
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