In Canada, 38 dead puppies were discovered on an airplane, while many others were in very poor health. An investigation is underway to understand how it could have happened.
On June 13, a plane belonging to the company Ukraine International Airlines (UAI) carrying 500 puppies landed at Pearson Airport in Toronto, Canada. This Saturday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), which regulates the importation of animals, announced that 38 of them had been found dead, while others were in very poor health, reports AFP.
These are French bulldogs, highly prized in Canada, where they were imported to be sold. Among the dead puppies, many others suffered from dehydration, weakness, or vomiting. According to a dog handler, present in the cargo area of the airport to collect another animal, it was a real "horror scene". "It was a nightmare. Canada and the federal government must change the laws on the importation of these puppies", she told the Canadian public broadcaster CBC.
An investigation was opened following this horrible discovery: "CFIA officials are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident and will determine next steps once the investigation is completed", explains the agency in a press release. "Canada applies rigorous standards for the importation of animals to protect Canadian animals from the introduction of serious animal diseases. (…) All import requirements must be met before an animal not be imported ", she says.
For its part, the airline presented "his condolences for the tragic loss of animal lives" Friday in a message posted on Facebook. UIA further claims to work "in cooperation with local authorities to determine what happened and to make the necessary changes to prevent such a situation from happening again", explains AFP.
In Canada, the sale of puppies is a lucrative business, which is sometimes the subject of trafficking involving organized crime, explains an academic to CBC. Most buyers believe that young dogs were bred in the country. Professor Scott Weese explains: "You are talking about 500 French bulldogs. If they are sold between 3000 and 4000 Canadian dollars (between 2000 and 2600 euros) each, that makes a lot of money."
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