Rise In Illegal Dog Imports Occur During The Coronavirus Pandemic

UNSPECIFIED, ENGLAND - MAY 06: (EDITORS NOTE: location unspecified for safety reasons) An illegally imported cocker spaniel puppy in a kennel at a Dogs Trust rehoming facility on May 6, 2021 in an unspecified location in the United Kingdom. Dogs Trust have seen a marked increase by 66% of illegally imported puppies during the coronavirus pandemic as demands and street values have risen dramatically. Many of the dogs are imported from Eastern European countries, taken from their parents too young and enduring long and cruel journeys entering the U.K. under the current legal age of 15 weeks. Dogs Trust are calling on the U.K. government to raise the age of imported puppies to 6 months to make them less desirable and to also see tougher penalties for smugglers as currently only a handful of cases have lead to prosecution with minor penalties. (Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)