Published: 25 Jul 2025 | Last Updated: 25 Jul 2025 14:00:14

Two new studies from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) have revealed widespread public misunderstanding about the importation of puppies from countries within the European Union (EU). With growing concern about the scale and impact of this trade, including puppy welfare and illegal imports, the research highlights the need for greater education and policy change to tackle the growing risks.

The relatively unregulated import trade of puppies presents many possible risks, including welfare implications for puppies and breeding dogs, and risk of diseases for both humans and canines, which are compounded by a continuous high demand for puppies in the UK market. Currently, approximately 950,000 puppies are estimated to be needed to meet UK customer demand each year, with only 20 per cent thought to come from registered domestic breeders. This high demand for puppies in the UK is promoting illegal puppy importation, ranking as the third most lucrative crime in the EU.

Puppies born into the illegal puppy trade are more likely to come from low-welfare breeding establishments, greatly increasing their risk of health and behavioural challenges. Additionally, there is a risk of imported dogs carrying “exotic” diseases such as Brucella canis, Leishmania infantum and even rabies, presenting a threat to the health of canine and human populations in the UK.  This is of concern given a recent report (National Audit Office, June 2025) highlighted significant gaps in the UK’s preparedness for animal disease outbreaks.

These studies come as the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill has just had its third reading in the House of Commons and will now be debated in the House of Lords. If passed, the legislation will aim to tackle unethical and illegal importation of dogs by prohibiting the import of puppies under six months of age, heavily pregnant animals and dogs subjected to ear cropping or tail docking. The research findings from both studies emphasise that such legal measures are important but must be accompanied by public education efforts to ensure potential owners understand the risks and responsibilities involved in purchasing imported pets.

The first of the new RVC studies surveyed over 7,000 UK residents - primarily current dog owners - to assess public knowledge of EU Pet Passports, the legal requirements for importing puppies, and the disease risks associated with puppy movement across borders. Results revealed major knowledge gaps, including confusion about transport methods, legal importation age, and awareness of dangerous diseases such as rabies and leishmaniasis.

Other key findings include:

• Only 30% knew that EU Pet Passports can no longer be issued in the UK following Brexit.
• Over 50% were not confident that an 8-week-old EU-born puppy must be illegally imported; the minimum legal age is 15 weeks.
• 13% incorrectly thought that an EU Pet Passport means that a puppy has been tested for infectious diseases, with a further 40% unsure.
• Awareness of exotic diseases that could potentially enter the UK was found to be poor: nearly 1% hadn’t heard of rabies, and 35% were unsure if they had heard of Brucella canis, which can cause infertility in dogs and illness in humans.
• Respondents’ knowledge about the disease risks to dogs was typically much better than their awareness of the disease risks to people
• Respectively, only 89% and 56% knew rabies and Brucella canis can infect humans as well as dogs.

The second new RVC study examined people’s attitudes and perceptions of the risks and benefits to puppies of being imported from Romania to the UK for sale (one of the most common countries from which puppies and dogs are imported to the UK), and the risks and benefits to UK-based owners of purchasing a puppy imported from Romania. Analysis of 4,000 responses from UK residents to an online survey showed that:

• Almost 70% of participants believed that the benefits of buying an EU-born puppy were no different to buying a UK-bred puppy.
• Over 20% of participants felt that buying an imported puppy could make an owner feel good for “rescuing” them (despite being commercially sold).
• Only 40% recognised that an imported puppy may be more challenging to own than one bred in a high-welfare UK home. Under 20% considered any risks to humans of disease or infection from an imported puppy.

When considering risks and benefits to the puppy from being imported:

• Approximately 65% of those who identified any risks for puppies listed only one risk, suggesting limited awareness of array of health and welfare concerns associated with this trade.
• Only 50% mentioned the welfare impact of the puppy's journey across Europe to the UK.
• Only 2% considered that an imported puppy might not find a suitable home in the UK.

Dr Rowena Packer, Senior Lecturer in Companion Behaviour and Welfare Science, and senior author on both papers, said:

“The UK is considered a nation of dog lovers; however, our insatiable desire for puppies cannot currently be met by domestic supply from UK breeders, which has encouraged illegal importation pathways to open to meet this demand. Our results indicate that the UK public’s lack of awareness on key issues related to puppy importation have likely led to many well-meaning buyers sleepwalking into supporting the illegal puppy trade. Although the introduction of a ban on puppy imports under six months old is encouraging, any enforcement measures need to be backed up by changes to puppy buyer awareness and behaviour. We would urge any potential puppy buyer to scrutinise all individuals offering puppies for sale or ‘rescue’, ask questions of the seller about a puppy’s origins, and to walk away if they have any concerns. Whilst buying an imported puppy to ‘rescue’ it may feel like the right thing to do, unfortunately this only proliferates the trade putting many more puppies at risk.”

Dr Zoe Belshaw, veterinary specialist, and first author on both papers, said:

“This is the first large-scale study to assess UK residents’ knowledge and attitudes towards imported puppies. We found worrying knowledge gaps related to EU Pet Passports, building on our previous research which identified that 10% of puppies bought in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic had a Pet Passport at purchase. These findings suggest that UK residents may be inadvertently purchasing puppies born abroad thinking they are UK-bred. Furthermore, even those who know or suspect their puppy has originated overseas may underestimate the range of risks associated with owning one. Puppies born overseas may carry diseases which can infect both people and other dogs, yet many respondents to this survey were unaware of these diseases. Our findings suggest that much more needs to be done to educate the UK public about exotic disease risks.”

Danny Chambers MP who introduced the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill said:

““As a vet and an MP, I’ve seen firsthand the heartache experienced by families who unknowingly bring home sick or traumatised animals. These important studies from the Royal Veterinary College expose a dangerous lack of public awareness around puppy imports and the very real threats they pose: from serious animal welfare concerns to the public health risk of introducing diseases like rabies and Brucella canis into the UK.

“While legislation like my Puppy Smuggling Bill is vital to closing loopholes exploited by unscrupulous traders, these findings highlight that laws alone aren’t enough. We urgently need a public education campaign to ensure potential dog owners understand the risks of buying imported or low-welfare puppies and the importance of choosing responsibly. Protecting animal welfare and public health must go hand in hand.”

Notes to Editors

References

Belshaw, Z., & Packer, R. M.A., UK public knowledge of puppy imports from EU countries: gaps in awareness and implications for animal welfare. Animals (2025). doi: 10.20944/preprints202506.0660.v1

Belshaw, Z., Youens, E., Lord, M. & Packer, R. M. A. UK public perceptions of the risks and benefits of purchasing imported puppies. Animals (2025). doi: 10.20944/preprints202506.0716.v1

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About the RVC

• The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is the UK's largest and longest established independent veterinary school and is a Member Institution of the University of London.  
• It is one of the few veterinary schools in the world that hold accreditations from the RCVS in the UK (with associated recognition from the AVBC for Australasia, the VCI for Ireland and the SAVC for South Africa), the EAEVE in the EU, and AVMA (probationary) in the USA and Canada. 
• The RVC is ranked as the top veterinary school in the world in the QS World University Rankings by subject, 2025.  
• The RVC offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in veterinary medicine, veterinary nursing and biological sciences.  
• The RVC is a research-led institution, with 88% of its research rated as internationally excellent or world class in the Research Excellence Framework 2021. 
• The RVC provides animal owners and the veterinary profession with access to expert veterinary care and advice through its teaching hospitals and first opinion practices in London and Hertfordshire.