Animal Advocates Sound Alarm on Puppy Exploitation at U.S. Port of Entry

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In recent weeks, animal rights activists in Tijuana say they are seeing more and more vendors selling puppies to border commuters at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

“It’s all out of control,” said Xochtil Zamora, an animal rights advocate and frequent border commuter. “The other day, a young man offered me a French bulldog for $3,500.”

Zamora said it’s not just one person doing it, but many.

Carmen Villarreal, an animal rights attorney in Tijuana, has also taken notice.

“We’ve seen a rise in the sale of dogs at the international border,” said Villarreal. “This is a network of systematic exploitation of the animals.”

And according to Villarreal, the puppies being sold are often sick and carry diseases, fleas, and ticks.

“They are ill and will likely infect other dogs north of the border,” she said.
The practice is illegal, according to Tijuana Police, who have started cracking down on people selling small dogs.

But investigators say penalties for selling dogs without a license in Mexico don’t carry harsh penalties, and almost always, officers end up releasing the people they detain.

Rules and regulations related to dogs entering the U.S. are drawn by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Rules dictate a dog must be at least six months old to cross the border, and dog owners must have their animal’s updated vaccination documents, or the animal will not be allowed into the U.S.

“These are very young animals, separated from their mothers; they are often brought to the border in plastic bags; we have found some dogs barely alive,” said Villarreal.