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Customs officers seized five puppies and five adult dogs at Dublin Port when they stopped two men disembarking a ferry from Holyhead on Tuesday morning.
The men, both Irish nationals in their 50s, were driving a van pulling a horsebox. A random check showed the men did not have pet passports for the animals.
The Pomeranian and Spaniel- type dogs and puppies are in the care of the DSPCA, who work in co-operation with other animal welfare organisations and Revenue to confront the illegal puppy trade.
Brian Gillen of the DSPCA said that while one of the animals is micro-chipped, it is not properly registered so he had "no clue" where the dogs came from. Since four of the dogs were adult females, he suspected they were for breeding.
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He said it was “most unusual” to seize inbound dogs or puppies, since the majority of seizures are of animals leaving the country.
A follow-up investigation is now in progress.