Dogs Trust smuggles stuffed toy through border control with fake passport and microchip

  • Animals
'Mitzi' the stuffed dog was smuggled across the channel three times on a fake passport. Credit: The Dogs Trust

The Dogs Trust successfully smuggled a toy dog through UK border control with a fake passport and microchip three times out of four attempts.

The charity said it carried out the stunt to highlight failings at UK borders and the continued abuse of the Pet Passport Scheme.

It added that the experiment with 'Mitzi', the stuffed dog, shows an urgent need for visual checks of pets travelling with passports.

A staff at member scans 'Mitzi's' carrier without opening it at the Eurotunnel's Pet Reception. Credit: The Dogs Trust

"In the absence of any physical sight check at the borders, corrupt dealers can smuggle underage, sickly, or undocumented puppies into Great Britain -bringing with them a risk of disease", the charity said.

A second investigation also found that some breeders from Lithuania and Romania are supplying puppies under twelve weeks of age - the legal age they can be vaccinated against rabies.

The charity also said Lithuanian and Romanian vets are falsifying data on pet passports.

According to the Dogs Trust, the Pet Travel Scheme is being 'exploited' by vets and breeders in Romania. Credit: The Dogs Trust

Paula Boyden, Veterinary Director of Dogs Trust, said: "As our evidence demonstrates the Pet Travel Scheme amendments in December 2014 have been ineffective, we urge all the appropriate agencies to take the findings of our two investigations seriously.

“We need a joined up approach and Government support, it cannot be left to animal welfare charities and concerned individuals to fight the puppy smuggling scandal alone", she added.

The Dogs Trust tested animal checks at Folkestone, Calais and Dover as part of its investigation. Credit: The Dogs Trust

In response to the findings of the Dog's Trust's first investigation, a spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) told ITV News there was no need for visual checks.

He added that there were "obvious difficulties" matching pets with the photos in passports.