spcaLA Fights to Stop Puppies Smuggled Across the Border

Consumers: Beware of Purchasing Puppies from Unknown Sources

Thousands of underage puppies, many toy breeds, are brought into the U.S. for re-sale via the border crossing stations annually. Many are later discovered to be sick, potentially creating a health epidemic for animals and people in the U.S. Adding to this problem are the inhumane breeding and transportation issues, an already prevalent animal overpopulation problem and the fact that people may spend thousands of dollars on veterinary bills for a puppy in very poor health, which oftentimes die. The situation may call for new laws to protect people and animals.

Consumers should beware when purchasing pets. Following are some tips before purchasing a pet from a private seller:

• Make sure a veterinarian has checked the animal's health. Request vaccination records from the seller and call to confirm the records with the veterinarian. The animal must be four months or older for proper vaccinations.
• Don't purchase an animal on a street corner, alley, parking lot or at a swap meet.
• Cash transaction can't be traced back to the seller. Don't pay cash and ask for a receipt. Make sure your receipt includes an imprint of the seller's name, address and license number.
• Try to meet the seller where the animal has been living. The animal's living conditions in the first months of life could have a long-term effect on their health and/or behavior. A responsible seller will have cared for their animals in a clean and sanitary environment.

If you would like to report the purchase of a sick puppy or a puppy peddler, please call 1-540-SPCA or email spacheco@spcaLA.com.

The Border Puppy Task Force (BPTF)

spcaLA is part of The Border Puppy Task Force (BPTF) which is comprised of 14 California animal welfare and law enforcement agencies. spcaLA spent two-weeks in December 2005 gathering statistics at the Otay Mesa and San Ysidro ports of entry. The collaborative operation was organized to analyze animals transported from Mexico to the United States . More than 1,500 dogs were looked at during this operation and more than 350 of those were puppies under three months old.