Germany as a transit country in the illegal puppy trade
A new PETA investigation reveals how dog puppies are bred in Slovakia under conditions that violate animal welfare standards and subsequently sold via Germany to Belgium into so-called puppy shops.
The dogs are treated like commodities, kept in isolation in some cases, and separated from their mothers at an early age.
Many consequently develop lifelong physical and psychological problems.
The Slovak breeding operation «Larus» alone generated over one million euros in revenue between 2021 and 2023, supplying at least three Belgian puppy shops with more than 380 puppies in 2023 alone.
Germany serves both as a sales market and as a transit country, while Belgium plays a key role as a hub in the EU-wide puppy trade.
PETA criticises the profit-driven nature of this industry and urges people never to buy dogs — neither online nor from breeders — but exclusively to adopt from animal shelters.
