Last weekend the policemen of the Traffic Police in the locality of Porpetto intercepted a van with a Hungarian license plate and stopped him for a more detailed check.
The 46-year-old Hungarian citizen is at the helm. The policemen of the Palmanova Traffic Police sub-section ascertained the presence on board of a large number of puppies of various breeds, suspicious that this could be an illegal transport, considering the fact that the animals they did not seem to have already reached the end of the fourth month of life, the staff of NOAVA intervened, the Operational Unit for Environmental Supervision of the regional forestry body, as well as the veterinarians of the ASUFC of Palmanova promptly called.
At the end of the checks, all 49 puppies of various breeds, including French bouledogue, spitz, Maltese, golden retriver, yorkshire and homeless, were under the prescribed 3 months of age and of these five had not even been microchiped.
In addition to the failure to respect the age necessary to be able to market them, all the animals were accompanied by false documentation.
Given the results of the investigation, all animals were seized and entrusted to authorized regional structures where they will remain in custody for health reasons before being entrusted. The Hungarian hauler was reported for illicit trafficking in pets, mistreatment of animals, and false documentation.
This assessment, too, is part of a broader and wider control activity involving the Traffic Police and the regional Forestry Corps, aimed at contrasting these illegal activities, which find in our region one of the main routes for foreigners to penetrate dogs and other pets, intended for the Italian market.
For those interested in entrusting four-legged friends, it will be possible to apply to the University Healthcare Center of Central Friuli - Veterinary Service.
The Traffic Police sensitizes anyone who wants to buy a puppy dog to follow these few but fundamental rules:
- To demand the pedigree as a guarantee not only of genealogy but also of immunity from particular pathologies (private breeders are not obliged to provide it)
- Go directly to view the puppy at the breeding in order to check its hygiene conditions and the actual relationship with the mare.
- Doubting overly favorable economic proposals; the sharp drop in price may be an indication of an animal raised in Eastern European countries and "recycled" in Italy thanks to false or completely absent documents.
- These checks are particularly useful in periods of the year, such as the Christmas holidays, when the request for this particular gift is very frequent.