German cops have rescued three puppies in cramped boxes being driven from Bulgaria to the UK where they were intended to be sold.
The van driver, name not reported, was stopped on the A45 motorway near the town of Freudenberg in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Local traffic police pulled the van and trailer from the motorway after they decided they wanted to check the vehicle’s load.
Police spokesperson Peter Bandermann told Newsflash: “My colleagues had good instincts because there were three frightened dogs in a confined space in dirty, small animal boxes between unsecured items in the van’s loading space.”
He added that the driver set off from Bulgaria and was making their way to the UK to allegedly sell the dogs, adding that they had been in the boxes for many hours in darkness without fresh air or food and water.
Bandermann said the three dogs were checked by a local veterinarian before being handed over to an animal shelter in the city of Siegen.
Beforehand, the police said the dogs were allowed out of the boxes to enjoy a walk and some fresh air.
Bandermann told Newsflash that the local authorities “will very likely initiate proceedings against the suspect for illegal animal transport”.
The investigation is ongoing.
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Story By: Lee Bullen, Sub-Editor: James King, Agency: Newsflash
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