China - Puppy Smuggling

Puppies bred in inhumane conditions in puppy mills all over China are brought to markets like the
Dali Pet Market at Foshan to supply pet shops in Southern China
and possibly to be smuggled into Hong Kong.

The Dali pet market operates from Monday to Friday and provides wholesale and retail sales of animals, pet accessories, pharmaceuticals and veterinary services

Undercover visits to the Dali Pet Market by SPCA inspectors revealed:

Puppies galore for sale, different breeds, some healthy some ill. Dead puppy thrown away in a rubbish bin.Puppies galore for sale, different breeds, some healthy some ill. Dead puppy thrown away in a rubbish bin.

  • A complete absence of disease prevention and control. With no vaccinations, epidemics of viral infections such as distemper, parvovirus, kennel cough, para-influenza and cat rhinotracheitis are frequent and large numbers of animals die.
  • Sick animals that survived the arduous transport were kept together with healthy ones and received no veterinary treatment. 
  • While some wholesalers take the simple measure of separating sick animals from healthy ones, most do nothing.
  • Some administer veterinary drugs and medications themselves, even though they are unqualified to do so.
  • Dead bodies were simply discarded in rubbish bins.

Dogs may be sold onto other pet shops in Shenzhen or sold directly to the public. Once an animal is purchased, falsified health records are provided before departure. Some shops will offer to provide a veterinary check to "guarantee" your puppy's health.

By smuggling puppies into Hong Kong, sellers avoid the mandatory 4 month rabies quarantine period at a government facility, increasing the risk of a rabies outbreak in Hong Kong.

Special Smuggling Service for Hong Kong buyers of China puppies

Once you've agreed to purchase a puppy, the pet shop or dealer will arrange for its arrival at your Hong Kong address. Puppies are packed in boxes, hidden in secret compartments in vehicles or transported openly mislabeled as other goods. Puppies may be drugged to keep them quiet so that their barking will not alert customs officials.

Laundering of puppies in Hong Kong Pet Shops

Got your puppy in Hong Kong? Well, your puppy may have originated from a puppy mill in China too. Why? With increasing rents and labour costs, coupled with a supply of “cheap” puppies from China, smugglers and illegal breeders and traders may buy puppies from China and mix them in with locally sourced illegal puppies.

 

Date review: 16/12/2019