Customs sniff out smuggled chihuahua

DUBLIN Airport customs officer Robin Broni must have thought he was going barking mad when an X-ray of one of the thousands of bags that he and colleagues scan everyday at the airport showed up the distinctive shape of a small dog.

The not so shaggy dog story began after a Bulgarian man appeared nervous after disembarking from a flight from Madrid.

With their noses keenly tuned to sniff out any misdoings the customs officials decided to spot check the man and X-ray his hand luggage.

At first they thought what they were seeing secreted in a cage was a toy dog because it was standing up and it looked so rigid.

However, when they opened the bag they found that it was actually a little brown and black chihuahua.

“When we unzipped the bag and discovered it was a real dog we were more than surprised,” said Mr Broni.

“In my 20 odd years in customs I have never seen a dog going through a customs machine.”

When they got their paws on the culprit, he admitted he had travelled from Sofia in Bulgaria, via the Spanish capital, where he managed to sneak the animal past customs.

He told them the little animal was intended as a gift.

However, the officers quickly got on the dog and bone and informed the authorities of what they had discovered.

The pint-sized pooch, which Mr Broni said seemed tired but unharmed, was handed over to Department of Agriculture officials where it was placed in quarantine because any animal entering the country must have a health clearance before it can be allowed past customs.

As for the collared Bulgarian, he was allowed to progress on through customs but could still face prosecution as a file has been prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.