116 puppies seized after bid to transport them to Britain
The animals, all between five and eight weeks old, had been packed into two vehicles with no access to food or fresh water.
It is believed the puppies were destined for the British market, though none had a pet passport as required under the Animal Welfare Act, which came into effect last year.
Gillian Bird, from the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA), said that while no arrests were made, they will be pursuing the matter with a view to prosecution.
“We have 22 cases pending under the new legislation,” she said. “This will make 23. We’re being quite slow to publicise the incident because we have to get it right. Then we’ll have a template.
“The illegal transportation of animals is a huge problem. Sometimes animals will be packed into boxes or sedated so they won’t make noise.”
There were 116 puppies in total, which included ‘designer’ breeds such as labradoodle and cavachon, the bichon frise and cavalier King Charles spaniel cross.
Other breeds included West Highland terriers, huskies, and cocker spaniels.
The animals are in the care of the DSPCA, which has put 32 of them into a private veterinary clinic — some of the pups are suffering from diarrhoea, worms, parasitic infections, and viruses, possibly as a result of being too young to travel long distances.
All have since been micro-chipped and given a 15-minute check to assess overall wellbeing. Apart from those receiving veterinary care, the DSPCA said the puppies were in relatively good condition.
They will now go into foster care until the individuals involved in the case have been prosecuted. After this, the animals will be permanently rehomed.
The DSPCA said it was the first case of large numbers of pet dogs to be seized under the new Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.
The operation was assisted by gardaí, Customs officers, and the Department of Agriculture. Those involved were cautioned by the gardaí and investigations are continuing.
It is understood the seizure was part of a long-term investigation and focused on one particular vehicle. One of the vehicles involved was not certified for transporting animals and was temporarily seized. In 2012, almost 100 pups were rescued by officials in Ireland, who believed they were destined for sale in Britain.
