Görlitz/Ludwigsdorf/Hagenwerder (ots). On Tuesday, January 20th, around 2:15 p.m., a federal police patrol subjected a Dutch van to an entry check at the Hagenwerder border crossing.
In the passenger compartment were the 62-year-old Polish driver, his 63-year-old Dutch passenger and a small dog. Before checking the cargo area, however, the officers noticed that significantly more dog barking could be heard than the four-legged friend in the passenger compartment could have caused.
When the officers had the hold opened, they were met with an unexpected sight: tied to the inside wall of the hold with only a leash and collar, they saw ten more dogs, which were also being transported without any security. It is impossible to imagine what consequences this could have had in the event of heavy braking or an accident.
Sufficient entry documents could not be presented for any animals. Only national Polish dog ID cards were available, which were not sufficient for entry.
Consultation with the responsible official veterinarian of the Görlitz district revealed that the dogs are not allowed to enter Germany under these circumstances. The driver and passenger then refrained from entering the country and remained in Poland. The veterinary office initiated administrative offense proceedings on suspicion of a violation of the Animal Welfare Act.