Fewer dogs are being smuggled – "pandemic effect" over

The desire for one's own dog has decreased and it is leaving a mark on dog smuggling to Sweden, which has drastically decreased compared to the pandemic years.

» Updated: July 16 2024

» Published: July 02 2024

Fewer dogs are being smuggled – "pandemic effect" over
Photo: Polisen

Share this article

The demand for own dogs has decreased and it is leaving a mark on dog smuggling to Sweden, which has drastically decreased compared to the pandemic years.

It's a bit like it has ebbed out, says Martin Petersson, expert at the Customs Agency, to TT.

It started to increase towards the end of the first pandemic year, 2020. Then the number of detected dog smuggling cases increased during both 2021 and 2022, which became a peak year.

Everything is about demand, states Martin Petersson.

These years with restrictions made people want to have company at home, when people were sitting at home and working, and that effect has ceased.

188 dogs this year

So far this year, until the end of June, 188 smuggled dogs have been found by the customs. During the peak year 2022, a total of 552 were found.

We think from the kennel club's side that it's quite good that the demand has decreased, says Janina Pfalzer, press officer at the Swedish Kennel Club, to P4 Kristianstad.

Besides smuggling from other countries, high demand also leads to irresponsible breeding within the country, which she calls "kitchen breeding".

The dogs that are smuggled to Sweden are often small companion dogs bred in Central Europe.

When smugglers are exposed, it is often due to how they behave when meeting customs officials.

It's often very difficult for people to hide stress symptoms, i.e. getting stressed when talking to an authority figure. Increased pulse, sweating, and bad stories – it's often such things we go further on, says Martin Petersson.

Rejection more common

It is then up to veterinarians to decide what to do with the dogs that have been found. According to Martin Petersson, it has become more common for the dogs to be rejected from the country, instead of veterinarians making decisions about euthanasia.

It can lead to the smugglers making a new attempt later, he states.

The Öresund Bridge and Helsingborg are practical examples of this. We have several cases where they have been rejected at the Öresund Bridge and then come up in Helsingborg an hour later instead.

Stopping dog smuggling through customs controls is, according to the Customs Agency, not possible.

Sometime in the future, maybe we'll succeed, but the demand must decrease, says Martin Petersson.

Tags

Author

TTT
By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers

More news

Man Arrested for Attempted Murder After Flemingsberg Shooting
1 MIN READ

Man Arrested for Attempted Murder After Flemingsberg Shooting

Chinese Goods Most Frequently Seized by EU Customs in 2024
1 MIN READ

Chinese Goods Most Frequently Seized by EU Customs in 2024

Harmful Boxwood Moth Spreading Rapidly Across Sweden
1 MIN READ

Harmful Boxwood Moth Spreading Rapidly Across Sweden

Man Found Dead in Kristinehamn Archipelago; Murder Investigation Launched
1 MIN READ

Man Found Dead in Kristinehamn Archipelago; Murder Investigation Launched

Shooting in Flemingsberg Leaves Two Men Injured
1 MIN READ

Shooting in Flemingsberg Leaves Two Men Injured

Scania Healthcare Workers Urge Sweden to Accept Gaza Patients
1 MIN READ

Scania Healthcare Workers Urge Sweden to Accept Gaza Patients

Person Released After Detention in Kallhäll Double Murder Case
1 MIN READ

Person Released After Detention in Kallhäll Double Murder Case

SOS Alarm Resolves Nationwide Technical Issues Affecting Ambulance Dispatch
1 MIN READ

SOS Alarm Resolves Nationwide Technical Issues Affecting Ambulance Dispatch

Two Seriously Injured in Head-On Collision on E14 in Åre
1 MIN READ

Two Seriously Injured in Head-On Collision on E14 in Åre

6,000 Residents to Relocate as Kiruna Mine Expansion Continues
1 MIN READ

6,000 Residents to Relocate as Kiruna Mine Expansion Continues

Cyberattack Hits 76 Miljödata Customers Causing Data Loss
2 MIN READ

Cyberattack Hits 76 Miljödata Customers Causing Data Loss

Woman in Her 50s Detained for Murder in Ulricehamn
1 MIN READ

Woman in Her 50s Detained for Murder in Ulricehamn

22-Year-Old Charged with Contract Killing in Malmö
1 MIN READ

22-Year-Old Charged with Contract Killing in Malmö

Princess Madeleine Responds to Criticism of Skincare Brand Launch
2 MIN READ

Princess Madeleine Responds to Criticism of Skincare Brand Launch

Exotic Tree Species Proposed to Combat Climate Change in Swedish Forestry
3 MIN READ

Exotic Tree Species Proposed to Combat Climate Change in Swedish Forestry

Rescue Service Error Leads to Woman's Death in Öland Fire
2 MIN READ

Rescue Service Error Leads to Woman's Death in Öland Fire

Secret Network Smuggles Black Money from Europe to Turkey
1 MIN READ

Secret Network Smuggles Black Money from Europe to Turkey

Young People Pessimistic About Sweden's Future but Confident in Themselves
3 MIN READ

Young People Pessimistic About Sweden's Future but Confident in Themselves

Ismail Abdo Faces New Drug Charges in Sweden and Norway
1 MIN READ

Ismail Abdo Faces New Drug Charges in Sweden and Norway

Stockholm Waterworks in Urgent Need of Renovation and Support
1 MIN READ

Stockholm Waterworks in Urgent Need of Renovation and Support