Illegal Puppy Warning in Hampshire

9 April 2012, 05:00

Trading Standards say families in Hampshire have fallen victim to buying illegal puppies on websites they thought were legitimate.

The Families in Basingstoke and Alton had bought pets illegally imported from Europe.

Three of them didn't have the right vaccinations, and another had its papers doctored to make it seem younger than it was.

A mum from Basingstoke said they'd only had the puppy a few hours before he was taken into quarantine;

"I have children and they've all been crying about it. It's traumatising for them to have their puppy taken away so soon after we brought him home.

"We've all been down to visit him at the kennels but it's not the same and has also cost us a lot of money."

"The first 12 weeks are the most important in a dog's life - when they get used to socialising and their surroundings but he's been stuck in a kennel and will probably be very nervous when we finally get him back.

"It's been really awful for our whole family and I don't want it to happen to anyone else."

Trading Standards officers say buyers can end up paying a large bill to put the puppy in quarantine after discovering it's been illegally imported.