RSPCA

There’s a new addition to the list of ‘counterfeit’ goods to be found on the internet and it’s not easy to spot. It’s not the latest games console or fad toy, but one of the estimated 50,000 trafficked puppies believed to be imported from Ireland each year, as well as those bred by unscrupulous breeders in the UK.

This Christmas, nearly a third of people admitted they will search the internet or ads in the local newspaper to find a cut-price puppy bargain, with 45 percent hoping to pay £200 or less. There’s no cheap way to be a dog owner. A healthy, well-bred dog can cost hundreds of pounds to buy and care for.