People looking to adopt a dog this holiday season have been warned to watch out for smugglers looking to cash in on the Christmas puppy market.
Some 27 pregnant dogs were seized at UK borders between late September and early November after being illegally shipped in from Central and Eastern Europe.
Dogs Trust Merseyside said it has seen a 60% increase in the number of illegally imported pregnant dogs in the past year, many in the late stages of pregnancy and with some giving birth within days of arriving in the country.
