Smuggled into the UK on false documents, hundreds of Slovaks, Hungarians and Lithuanians are arriving on these shores only to be sold into miserable conditions and left to rot on the streets once their masters abandon them.
It sounds the kind of human-trafficking story that has become all too familiar in recent years, but the victims on whom we report today are pugs, french bulldogs and miniature dachshunds from eastern Europe. These are the so-called “handbag dogs” that adorn the outfits of celebrities — small enough to leave room inside the bag for an iPhone, cute enough to satisfy the Instagram followers.
According to Dogs Trust, Britain’s biggest dog welfare charity, the market for these puppies has exploded in the past two years as they have become more prominent on the social media accounts of public figures such as Madonna, Reese Witherspoon and Paris Hilton. Rates of abandonment have soared too. In 2016, more than ten times as many french bulldogs were dumped at rehoming centres than in 2014. Among pugs there was a 406 per cent increase.
The traffickers make a tidy profit, buying the pups for £50 and selling them for up to £2,000. Meanwhile the dogs suffer. Dogs Trust reports that the owners of these canine accessories often fail to understand that the needs of man’s best friend go beyond careful colour co-ordination. Dogs bought as fashion accessories interact less with canine playmates, get less exercise and sometimes develop health problems thanks to unscrupulous breeding practices. The impact of abandonment is, of course, more devastating still.
The influx is bad news for humans too, since rabies vaccination certificates are among the documents falsified. Prospective owners need to bear in mind that a dog is not just for Christmas, and it is not just for decoration either.