“A Dog Brings Benefits No Matter Where It’s From”: UK Residents Understanding of the Benefits and Risks of Importing Puppies from Romania to the UK

The United Kingdom (UK) is a key market for illegal puppy importation from the European Union (EU), as demand for puppies exceeds domestic supply from legitimate sources. Potential welfare risks to the puppies and negative impacts of these on their prospective owners are well documented, but UK residents’ perspectives on the trade are not. This study aimed to use an online survey to capture UK residents’ understanding of the benefits and risks to imported puppies of being brought to the UK, and the benefits and risks of buying an imported puppy for their prospective owners. Eligible responses were collected from n=7184 participants; 4000 randomly-selected free-text comments underwent content analysis. Our respondents displayed a limited understanding of the nature and range of risks associated with puppy importation and worryingly appeared to view owning an EU-born puppy as equivalent to one bred in the UK. Synonyms used for non-endemic diseases varied widely suggesting substantial confusion may exist on this topic. Perceptions of feeling good about “rescuing” a purchased imported puppy closely align with motivations to adopt older imported rescue dogs. If the importation of puppies aged under six months is banned, the trade in imported young adult rescue dogs may therefore proliferate.