Eight mixed breed puppies smuggled into Finland from Estonia without any paperwork have been euthanized.
The animals were found on Sunday in a cardboard box in the back of a car, arriving from Tallinn at Helsinki’s Katajanokka ferry terminal but had no paperwork about their health or vaccine status.
Police detained a 50-year old Estonian man who they suspect was planning to sell the puppies in Finland. He had been caught importing dogs without paperwork several years ago.
“The dogs also did not have the required EU pet passport, or identification chips. The dogs had to be put down because they might have caused a significant health risk to both humans and other animals” says Anne Hietala from Helsinki Police.
“Buying a pet from a smuggler or from a puppy farm is irresponsible and causes suffering to animals. As long as there is demand for these puppies, there is also a supply. Buyers must take responsibility and find out that their new pet has a good background” Hietala adds.
