The dog has become king in Britain, outstripping the popularity of cats for the first time in more than 20 years.
Statistics published by Dogs Trust Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association (PFMA) reveal that nearly 25% of British households include a dog with 8.9 million dogs now in Britain compared to 7.9 million cats.
In recent years, breeds such as French bulldog, the Chihuahua and the Pug have increased in popularity, thanks in part to celebrity owners.
Internet sales have also gone up, but animal welfare charities have warned of scams carried out on the internet.
Some websites purport to be registered breeders. With popular breeds costing as much as £2,000, the trade has attracted some unscrupulous merchants.
Some breeds have become so sought after that thousands of puppies are being smuggled in illegally from Eastern Europe, particularly from Lithuania and Hungary.
With lighter quarantine rules in place, smugglers are bringing in puppies younger than the 15-week lower age limit, sometimes with falsified documents concerning vaccination.
When a puppy is found to have arrived illegally, it has to taken into quarantine until it can be certified disease free.
Quarantine centres say they have been inundated with dogs since the quarantine laws were relaxed in 2012 and the most popular breeds there are French Bulldogs and Chihuahuas.
