Border Puppy Task Force Update
SAN DIEGO — More than a dozen puppies were seized from a motorist
who tried to smuggle them into the United States from Mexico in his
minivan, authorities said.
Many of the 28 puppies were infested with parasites, dehydrated and
too weak to stand, said Dawn Danielson, director of the San Diego
County Department of Animal Services.
"It's going to be touch-and-go for a lot of these puppies,"
Danielson said.
They were seized after a Customs and Border Protection officer
noticed a paw reach out from under the front seat Tuesday evening at
San Diego's Otay Mesa border crossing, authorities said.
The driver, who was only identified as a U.S. citizen, was charged
with 28 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and cited for failure
to declare a shipment, Danielson said.
The puppies, ages 3 to 6 weeks, included Chihuahuas, boxers, cocker
spaniels and poodle mixes. After two weeks of monitoring, they will
be placed in shelters for adoption.
It is legal to cross the border with dogs if they are declared at
Customs and they have rabies shots and health records, but many are
smuggled.
Puppies are often purchased in Mexico for between $50 and $150, then
sold at street corners, parking lots and flea markets in Southern
California for between $300 and $1,000 each, according to the Border
Puppy Task Force.
The force formed in 2004 after a rash of complaints from owners who
reported their dogs were turning sick and often dying.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
NOTE: Just another reason
one should always buy from a reputable breeder.
Side
Effects