Report exposes illegal puppy trade in Europe, also in the Netherlands
After this article was published, Puppyplaats stated that the site has taken strict measures over the past 18 months to combat the illegal import of puppies. For example, advertisements for imported dogs are prohibited on the platform (with the exception of puppies from Belgium and adoptive dogs from rescue organizations), even if the animals were legally imported. Additionally, every advertisement is manually checked before publication, and Puppyplaats has a zero-tolerance policy regarding unethical sales and puppy mills, the platform said.
There is still a lot wrong with online advertisements for puppies, concluded the international animal welfare organization Four Paws after a survey of Dutch advertising sites, among others. According to the organization, many young dogs are illegally imported from primarily Eastern Europe and then offered for sale on sites like Marktplaats or Puppyplaats.
In 2021 and 2022, Four Paws examined hundreds of online advertisements on Dutch and British sales sites. In the Netherlands, 376 puppy advertisements spread across the country were studied. Of these, 154 contained "clear indications" of illegal import, the foundation said.
For example, some puppies offered for sale were younger than three months, while pets are only allowed to be brought from abroad to the Netherlands at a minimum age of fifteen weeks. The vaccination status of the animals was not always clear, and health checks were often "dubious," according to Four Paws.
The sample by the animal welfare organization is not representative, but according to the foundation, it does indicate the situation on advertisement sites. Four Paws and its Dutch branch Vier Voeters advocate for more regulation and control on these sites and urge people who want to buy a puppy to familiarize themselves with the rules and remain alert to illegal trade.
Reporting by ANP
