Response to interpellation 2024/25:384 on measures against illegal dog smuggling
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
KD takes a serious view of irresponsible dog breeding, illegal importation and smuggling of animals because it causes suffering and infection risks 1. KD emphasizes that it is punishable to sell and buy smuggled dogs 1. KD argues that cooperation with other nations is crucial and that a future EU regulation on the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats can contribute to curbing illegal trade 1 2. KD agrees that illegal trade must be stopped for animal welfare and infection control reasons 3. KD considers that an important measure is that buyers receive the correct information 3. KD argues that cooperation between authorities, organizations, companies and individuals is required to create a safe and legal dog trade 3.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)
Madam Speaker! I have been asked what measures I intend to take to stop the illegal importation of dogs into Sweden, in what way the Riksdag's announcement from 2021/22 regarding smuggled dogs is captured in the work, and by when I assess they will be finalized.
First of all, I want to emphasize that I take irresponsible dog breeding, illegal importation, and smuggling of animals seriously. The suffering that the animals are often subjected to and the risks of disease transmission that such activities can entail are unacceptable.
For the welfare of the animals and to avoid the spread of disease, there are regulations to follow. Dogs brought into Sweden for sale must, among other things, be ID-marked, have an EU passport and a valid vaccination against rabies. The animals must also be inspected by a veterinarian within 48 hours before departure to Sweden.
It is punishable to sell and buy smuggled dogs. Despite this, smuggling and illegal importation of dogs occur. Dog smuggling is driven primarily by the fact that there is a higher demand for certain dogs than what the serious and legal market can meet. Without buyers and a market, there is no profitability and no incentives for persons to engage in such activity.
That is why it is important that everyone who is interested in buying a dog has a good knowledge of the problems and risks associated with buying dogs that are illegally imported or that are sold by unscrupulous breeders or intermediaries of dogs.
The Swedish Board of Agriculture, the Swedish Customs Service, and the National Veterinary Institute work together and continuously to disseminate information and knowledge about risks and the methods that unscrupulous actors use. The authorities also maintain contact with colleagues in the EU to detect and prevent illegal trade in animals. A future EU regulation on the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats can hopefully contribute to curbing this illegal trade and import.
The Government is considering which measures should be taken regarding the Riksdag's announcements concerning illegal import and smuggling of companion animals. The Government shall report back on any measures.
Sofia Skönnbrink (S)
Madam Speaker! First and foremost, it was pleasing to hear that the Minister for Rural Affairs will be at home on parental leave in April. In his position, it is very important to be a role model, and I truly think he is when he chooses to be at home with his daughter. Also great that it was a Värmland rural minister who took the step to be the first father to be at home with his child!
Let me return to today's debate. I truly agree with those who say that the dog is man's best friend and not some smuggled goods. Few things are as upsetting as seeing innocent, helpless animals subjected to severe suffering. Many probably get a lump in their throat when they see pictures of small, malnourished and dehydrated puppies that are crammed into small, cramped cages and have been found by customs at the Swedish border.
Despite this, illegal dog smuggling generates millions of kronor every year, and due to the high profitability, it is not uncommon for it to be organized by criminal networks. By purchasing a smuggled dog, there is a very high risk that one also contributes to fueling other serious crime in Sweden.
Madam Speaker! Among the smugglers' favorites are small popular dog breeds, for example French Bulldog, Pomeranian, Maltese and Bichon Frisé. The dogs are bought cheaply in countries such as Poland, Lithuania and Hungary, and are then transported home to Sweden to be sold on to future dog owners who very often do not know that it is a smuggled dog they are buying.
The Minister for Rural Affairs mentions in his response that it is important that the person who has thought about buying a dog is well-informed and knows about the risk that it could be a smuggled dog. Just as the minister says, there is no market if there are no buyers. I truly agree with that.
The problem is only that smugglers have developed sophisticated methods. Today, it is very difficult for prospective dog owners to see the difference between a seriously bred dog and an illegally smuggled dog. They are most often sold in nice premises with hired bitches that the smugglers claim are the puppies' mothers. In the advertisements, correct expressions such as "chipped, vaccinated and raised in a home environment" are used to make the buyer feel secure.
Madam Speaker! The dogs that are smuggled are often not vaccinated or dewormed and therefore risk bringing diseases that do not occur here in the country. Rabies is an example of a deadly disease that no longer exists in Sweden but risks returning if the correct controls are not carried out and if the illegal importation of dogs is not stopped.
In addition to an imminent infection risk, dog smuggling also involves systematic animal cruelty. Cramped spaces, inadequate ventilation, long transports, and a lack of food and water are some examples of such factors that often lead to the dogs having to be euthanized immediately when they reach the Swedish border because they are in such a poor condition.
Furthermore, the dogs are often purchased from so-called puppy factories where the bitches are mated continuously, without any chance for recovery, while simultaneously being subjected to enormous stress when their puppies are taken from them far too early.
The terrible living conditions and the long, agonizing transports can also give rise to unwanted behavioral disturbances that can have very serious consequences if the dog ends up in the wrong hands.
Madam Speaker! The illegal smuggling of dogs is a threat to animal welfare and public health, but also to public safety in general.
The Minister for Rural Affairs mentions that a common EU legislation could be a solution to the problem. But as both the Minister and I know, that review is heavily delayed. Therefore, I would also like to hear what measures the Minister and the government intend to take at the national level to be able to stop the illegal importation of dogs to Sweden.
Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)
Madam Speaker! First, I want to be clear once again and state that it is illegal to smuggle in dogs. It is also a crime to buy a smuggled dog – one has a great responsibility as a dog owner, both before and during ownership of the dog. The penalty can be a fine or imprisonment. For serious crimes, the sentencing scale is imprisonment from six months up to six years.
It is, however, problematic. Sophisticated methods are used, not infrequently false vaccination certificates, false identity documents and false health certificates, so that it appears as if all import regulations have been followed.
I believe that information is very important. I believe it is very important that everyone who is thinking about buying a dog takes it very seriously and tries to buy it at a place one can visit and where one can see the dog with its puppies nearby. These dogs are not infrequently bred, kept, and transported under very poor conditions. That is, of course, completely unacceptable.
To combat this nationally, close cooperation is required between the relevant authorities, which have a shared responsibility. Therefore, a joint cooperation forum has also been started in which Jordbruksverket, SVA, Tullverket, Folkhälsomyndigheten, the county administrative boards, regional infectious disease doctors, and Arbetsmiljöverket participate. Work is therefore ongoing there.
Regarding the EU level, I share the frustration. I would also have liked to see that this package was even larger. We are also pushing for the promised original animal welfare package, so to speak, to be driven forward by the new commission. We will have to see where it leads, but there we are on the same page, so to speak.
Sofia Skönnbrink (S)
Madam Speaker! Thank you for the answer, Minister!
Information is very important. It is also very important to be well-informed when choosing which breeder to buy one's dog from. I also think that what the minister says about agency cooperation is an important part in itself. It is completely correct that the focus should be placed on the coordination of our agencies so that they work towards the same goals and can have a common view on how things should be resolved.
The issue with smuggled dogs has been known for a long time. It became particularly noticeable during the pandemic years 2021–22, when customs stopped a record number of dogs at the Swedish border, primarily in Skåne and Blekinge. Working from home then made it possible for more people to acquire a dog. Demand could not be met by the supply from serious Swedish breeders, which opened new opportunities for criminal gangs to make quick money.
Pleasantly enough, the Swedish Customs Service has seen a trend break. The number of smuggled dogs decreased during 2024, which, as mentioned, is very good. But unfortunately, the risk I initially mentioned connected to serious diseases such as rabies remains, namely that they can return to Sweden. Even though the amount of dogs being smuggled in is decreasing, it means that every smuggled dog represents an imminent risk that rabies will enter. The amount does not play such a large role in that specific context.
Madam Speaker! The Swedish Customs Service cannot remedy this criminal activity and smuggling on its own. Agency cooperation is a step, but the Swedish Board of Agriculture and the veterinary industry have been very clear that it is also required that veterinarians are given greater opportunity to act when they suspect they have a smuggling dog in front of them.
As it stands today, it is required that the dog shows direct symptoms of rabies, alternatively that it arrives unvaccinated directly from an area that is heavily affected by rabies, in order for a report to the Jordbruksverket to be established from a veterinary perspective. It is therefore not sufficient that there is a strong suspicion that the dog is smuggled illegally or that the documentation the veterinarian is given access to is obviously forged.
In these cases, the veterinarian must have the owner's approval to report to Jordbruksverket. It is very rare to get it, because of course there is a large stigma and much shame surrounding having managed to purchase a dog that is not legal.
It should also be added that animals infected with rabies can go for several months without showing symptoms. This increases the risk that infected animals go under the radar and are not detected in time, and that the disease thus gains a foothold in Sweden.
Madam Speaker! Already in 2022, the Riksdag submitted a notice that veterinarians should be given the opportunity to report suspicion of illegal import of animals. However, the industry still lacks sufficient tools to be able to report suspicion of smuggling and break the duty of confidentiality. Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister for Rural Affairs if the government can consider reviewing the national legislation so that veterinarians are given the opportunity to break the secrecy and inform the authorities when there is suspicion that a dog has been brought into Sweden by illegal means.
Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)
Madam Speaker! Dogs that are discovered at the border or inside the country and are judged to be a risk of infection are covered by measures from the Swedish Board of Agriculture. This can, for example, be quarantine or, in the worst case, culling. To some extent, this already exists.
I would, however, like to go back a bit. Since smuggling is usually organized and extends across several countries, cooperation with other nations is absolutely crucial. As we mentioned, proposals are being discussed within the EU regarding common rules for the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats. The Council has already established its negotiating mandate towards the parliament. The proposal involves, among other things, requirements for ID marking of all dogs and cats sold or given away within the EU, but also a registration in a national database – which Sweden already has – which shall also be accessible at the EU level. I believe this would make it easier to track animals and combat illegal trade.
Sofia Skönnbrink (S)
Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for the answer, even though I do not think I quite received an answer to my question about reviewing the national rules for how veterinarians should be able to notify authorities if they suspect they have an illegally smuggled dog in front of them at the veterinary clinic. I would very much like the Minister to come back with an answer to the question of whether he can consider reviewing it nationally.
Just as Peter Kullgren says, there is a proposal from the EU Commission to develop a common regulatory framework specifically for the traceability of cats and dogs. A large part of that legislation is already in place in Sweden, including regarding how animals should be kept and cared for, as well as what type of breeding may and may not be carried out. One of the proposals, however, is very important, and it concerns exactly what the minister mentions: that all dogs in the EU shall be ID-tagged and registered in a national register that shall also be accessible at the EU level.
It is about ensuring that no dog can be placed on the common market before it is registered. It should also be possible to track individuals across national borders by having the member states share data with each other. This will make it more difficult to carry out smuggling and illegal trade with dogs, but for this legislation to make a difference, it must be followed up.
In Sweden, there is already a requirement that all dogs and cats must be identified and registered, but unfortunately, this does not happen to a sufficient extent – especially not when it comes to our cats. My final question to the Minister for Rural Affairs, Madam Speaker, therefore becomes how the government is working on that issue and whether the Minister thinks that the sanctions the authorities have at their disposal are sufficient to deal with owners who do not register their animals. Or does this need to be reviewed?
Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)
Madam Speaker! I absolutely agree that the illegal trade in dogs must be stopped, both for animal welfare reasons and for infection control reasons. Unfortunately, it is difficult to completely prevent certain individuals from deliberately breaking the rules.
I still believe that one of the most important measures we can take is to ensure that everyone who wants to buy a dog has the right information to be able to make a responsible choice. To combat illegal trade, we must cooperate. Authorities, organizations, companies, and individuals all have an important role to play, and we need to help each other to create a safe and legal dog trade and reduce the risk for both animals and humans.
What I can state now, in this interpellation debate, is that the government is following the issue closely and that I do not rule out that further measures may need to be taken in the future.
In conclusion, I would like to thank you, Sofia Skönnbrink, for your commitment to this important issue and for a good debate.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.