Rescue near highway

Puppy smuggler had three Pinschers in the box

The police seized these three small Pinschers from the illegal puppy dealer(Bild: Polizei OÖ)

"Woof!" - With quiet barking and whining, three puppies thanked police officers in Upper Austria for rescuing them from the clutches of an illegal dog trafficker. The officers had tracked down the truck driver, who was trying to earn some extra money, next to the highway.

"Thanks to an attentive driver, it was possible to stop an illegal puppy trade in a parking lot on the Innkreis freeway. The three Pinschers were nursed back to health by the highway police officers and taken to a veterinary clinic. The Bulgarian dog owner is facing charges," commented the Upper Austrian police on the dog rescue.

One of the three Pinscher puppies in good hands(Bild: Polizei OÖ)

Puppies in the box
The driver had noticed that an illegal puppy trader was apparently up to mischief at the A8 highway parking lot Murau Ost in Utzenaich shortly before 11 a.m. on Sunday. Rieder highway patrol officers actually caught the driver of a Bulgarian van. Inside were three puppies in a cardboard box.

Officers fetched food and water
The Pinscher puppies were given food and water by the police officers and taken to a veterinary clinic. The 47-year-old Bulgarian driver of the van was reported to the Ried district authority for violations of the Animal Protection and Epizootics Act and had to pay a security deposit on the spot. The dogs were of course taken away from him.