French bulldog puppies STILLBORN in illegal dog trade
GORGEOUS Gus, a French bulldog puppy, is unaware how lucky he is to be alive and how he was part of a sick trade.
ADORABLE puppies rescued after attempts to smuggle them
His heavily pregnant mother Lola was cowering in the back of a vehicle as smugglers brought her to the UK from Lithuania.
Lola’s fur was covered in tar, a cheap method used to get rid of ringworm.
She was rescued by customs officers, but two of her pups were stillborn.
While UK demand for such cute French bulldog pups remains smugglers will bring in puppies and pregnant bitches.
High demand for French bulldog puppies means they'll keep being smuggled into the country illegally
Gus was a lucky puppy, being one of the only living surviving puppies in his litter
Gus and Susan had no idea what an ordeal their mother had gone through
They sell for up to £1,000 each. Now 10-week-old Gus is happy at the Kent home of Joanna and Glyn Stuckey.
Just a few years old, Lola was carrying her third litter when rescued at Dover.
Poorly nourished, she looked weak and moved listlessly. She was taken to the Dogs Trust charity at Canterbury, where staff took her to a vet.
On the way she had a stillborn.
Dogs smuggled into the UK from other countries are often maltreated and abused
Joanna at the Dogs Trust said: “Sadly, Lola lost two of her puppies but Gus and his sister Susan survived.
“Lola was heavily pregnant and she should never have been travelling.
“In the early weeks after the births Lola did a brilliant job looking after her puppies and they bonded really well.
“Gus and Susan had no idea what an ordeal their mother had gone through.”