Pet-lovers are being warned of the dangers of buying illegally imported animals which may have been smuggled into the UK.
Dogs and cats are the main risk of importing rabies into the UK and East Riding Council's animal health team is urging people to only buy pets from trusted breeders.
Fantastic! Now, as well as inbreeding, kennel-cough and distemper to worry about, you have interesting exotic (and potentially disastrous) diseases to be on the lookout for!
Councillor Jackie Cracknell, portfolio holder for community involvement and performance at East Riding Council, said: "Anyone who is considering buying a cat or dog needs to be aware of what the requirements are for imported animals before they view.
"Always ask to see any papers, certificates or passports and inspect them carefully before agreeing to buy or handing over any money, and never be tempted to buy a puppy from the back of a car or a pub car park. If a price seems too good to be true, it probably is."
Sound advice that most sensible people will heed, and didn't need in the first place. But with the craze for 'handbag-sized' dogs amongst the ladies of the underclass, how long will it be before a set of forged papers brings
La Rage to these shores?
'But with the craze for 'handbag-sized' dogs amongst the ladies of the underclass'
ReplyDeleteParis Hilton is a member of the 'underclass'*?
*whatever that is.
Really? Is there money in this, smuggling dogs and cats. Have we not got enough here, that there's a profit to be made smuggling them. Plus the penalties for smuggling are quite harsh I recall , it would have to be a pooch that lays Golden Dog Eggs for the Risk:Reward to be worth it.
ReplyDeleteI smell bullshit (Which we do seem to have an excess of)
BTW my Anteater Nigel was perfectly healthy
Who exactly are the "underclass" that can afford to buy expensive, exotic, illegally-imported dogs ?
ReplyDeleteIf you're worried about it, get vaccinated (it'll be private at about £140 for all three injections).
"Paris Hilton is a member of the 'underclass'*?"
ReplyDeleteBeing 'underclass' is, like being a chav, more about behaviour than wealth.
"Really? Is there money in this, smuggling dogs and cats. Have we not got enough here..."
Not, it would seem, of the type currently popular.