Near Nickelsdorf

Animal transporter with 34 four-legged friends stopped

26 dogs and eight cats were loaded on a truck that was stopped near Nickelsdorf during the checks.(Bild: LPD Bgld)

Dozens of dogs and cats were on the road for hours, in small cages and heavily soiled. They were probably intended as "Christmas presents".

Unfortunately, animals still often end up as presents under the tree at Christmas. The illegal trade in four-legged friends therefore flourishes especially - but not only - before the holidays. For this reason, the police carried out a special operation at the border near Nickelsdorf (Burgenland) at the weekend. It didn't take long for the officers to pull the first transporter with animals out of circulation.

Catastrophic circumstances
A Romanian truck was carrying 26 dogs and 8 cats, locked up in small cages. The kennels of three of the dogs were so small that the police had to intervene. It also turned out that one dog was no longer fit for transportation due to its age. Apart from that, the transport license was no longer valid and the truck was heavily overloaded. The destination of the transporter was Germany, where, according to the driver, the animals were to be handed over to their new owners at rest stops - a clear indication of illegal puppy trading!

Officers discovered a total of 13 dogs in cages in one car.(Bild: LPD Bgld)

Animals heavily soiled
Germany was also the destination of a Hungarian car that was also stopped during the checks. The back seat and trunk of the car were full of cages. The driver had loaded a total of 13 dogs. Seven of the four-legged friends were heavily soiled with excrement. A valid transport license could not be produced either.

In the nine hours that the operation lasted, a total of 27 vehicles were checked, eleven reports were made in accordance with the Safety Act and 117 due to technical defects, overloading and the like.