A Major Step Forward in the Fight Against Puppy Smuggling
On 4 July 2025, Danny Chambers MP’s Private Member’s Bill to ban puppy smuggling cleared the House of Commons with government backing — a vital step toward shutting down a trade that has profited from animal suffering for far too long. The Bill will now progress to the House of Lords for further scrutiny.
This moment has been over a decade in the making.
Back in 2013, Tracks Investigations was approached by Dogs Trust. At the time, puppy smuggling was barely on the public or political radar, and they needed solid evidence to drive their campaign. We were tasked with uncovering the truth behind the trade — from source countries to the UK’s borders and illegal sales networks.
Over the past 11 years, we’ve carried out ten investigations into puppy smuggling:
• Six for Dogs Trust
• Four for Four Paws
Our work exposed:
• Large-scale puppy farms in Eastern Europe
• Corrupt vets issuing fake pet passports
• Weak or non-existent border checks
• Underage, unvaccinated puppies being smuggled into the UK
• Illegal sales taking place in homes, car parks, and roadside laybys
These investigations formed the backbone of major public awareness campaigns, media coverage, and sustained parliamentary lobbying efforts. Media outlets including the BBC, ITV, Sky, The Times, and The Daily Mail helped amplify the findings, bringing public attention to an often-overlooked issue.
Despite setbacks — including the shelving of the Kept Animals Bill in 2023 — the campaign never lost momentum. The passage of this Bill through the Commons is a testament to the power of evidence-led advocacy, long-term commitment, and collaboration between investigators, campaigners, and policymakers.
This is what perseverance looks like. This is why investigations matter.