UK Edition
'Trojan dogs' warning as vets say foreign pets could bring diseases into the UK
British vets have issued a warning over buying or adopting pets from abroad, as these 'trojan dogs' can carry life-threatening diseases to the UK.
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has urged political parties standing in the General Election to make mandatory health checks for dogs brought into the country part of their manifestos.
Recent figures released from Defra demonstrate that imports of dogs to Great Britain through the Pet Travel Scheme doubled to 307,357 dogs in 2018, from 152,075 in 2013.
This trend is somewhat fanned by celebrities, including Orlando Bloom, who rescued his pet, Sidi, from the streets of Morocco. Presenter and tennis player Sue Barker also adopted her dog from Romania. Comedian Ricky Gervais is also a patron of charity which imports rescue dogs to the UK from Romania. There is no suggestion any of these people have brought diseased dogs into the country.
One disease the vets are particularly worried about is Leishmaniasis, a parasite found in the Mediterranean that causes an often fatal disease in dogs. Others include heartworm, which is incredibly difficult to treat and spread by mosquitos, and hepatozoonosis, which is transmitted by ticks and often fatal as it is difficult to detect.
President of the BVA, Daniella Dos Santos, warned that though it is popular to take puppies home from foreign countries including Greece and Romania, it is safer to adopt pets from within the UK.
She told the Telegraph: “Adverts for organisations that rehome European dogs are often only a couple of clicks away, but in reality these ‘Trojan’ dogs often have unknown health histories, and may pose a risk to the native pet population and even humans in some cases if they bring in diseases which are either new to the UK or have been previously eradicated. Our members are particularly worried about the potentially fatal zoonotic diseases leishmaniasis, and have also reported seeing cases of other exotic conditions such as ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, hepatozoonosis and heartworm.
“While it may be a hard truth to take, we would always advise people to look at rehoming dogs who are already in the country; there are so many dogs in the UK who deserve a loving home and who don’t pose a potential health risk to themselves and the pets around them. If you already own a rescue dog from abroad, approach your local vet for advice on testing and treatment for any underlying conditions.”
These recommendations are part of a ten-point manifesto the BVA has released to political parties prior to the election.
Other pledges include boosting the veterinary workforce, enshrining animal sentience in law, protecting the welfare of animals at slaughter, especially when it comes to halal and kosher meat, and strengthening legislation against illegal puppy imports.
The BVA has also warned that many puppies illegally bred abroad in unsafe and uncomfortable conditions can also bring disease to the UK. This is often to sate demand for 'designer' breeds and cross-breeds.
A Defra spokesman said: “We operate one of the most rigorous border checking regimes for pets in the world. Every pet dog travelling into Great Britain must have its microchip and passport checked, which helps to make sure that any puppies entering the country are properly vaccinated and old enough to travel.
“We have also introduced a ban on commercial third-party sales of puppies and kittens, making it harder for criminals to sell smuggled puppies which have not had the necessary health checks.”