Today’s news / 5 in court for illegal dog import from Romania
Five people are charged with illegally importing and reselling 129 Maltese puppies. The photo shows a dog of the particular breed. The dog in the picture has nothing to do with the case. Photo: Peter Steffen/Ritzau Scanpix

5 in court for illegal dog import from Romania

129 puppies of the Maltese breed were smuggled to Denmark and resold by four men and one woman, according to the indictment Monday in Kolding Court, where an extensive case concerning the illegal import and resale of puppies has begun. Five people aged 32 to 54 have been indicted in the case. Two of them were not present in court. One is absent due to mental illness, another is in Romania. However, the latter’s lawyer has indicated that the man will appear at a later hearing and explain himself.
     The five are accused of smuggling puppies from Romania to Denmark, even though they were not registered as importers and were not licensed to trade. In addition, the puppies had not been examined by a veterinarian before they were sent to Denmark, just as they did not have an EU animal passport, were ID marked with a chip or had received anti-rabies vaccinations. According to the indictment, the dogs were resold from addresses in Fredericia and Middelfart, among others, after being advertised in Gul & Gratis and Den Blå Avis – dba.dk. /ritzau/