Hotspots in Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg
Hamburg. FOUR PAWS recorded a total of 737 animals last year, 81 of which came from illegal trade, illegal transport or illegal breeding, including 631 dogs and 106 cats. A particularly large number of puppies were discovered in Bavaria in 2025: 41 percent of all cases. North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg are also among the top federal states in which FOUR PAWS registered a particularly large number of animals from the illegal puppy trade. For the survey, FOUR PAWS added up cases from media reports, reports via the FOUR PAWS reporting tool and cases in which the animal welfare foundation itself took action.
“The number of animals discovered from the illegal puppy trade in 2025 is also shocking: 737 animals – many of them were too young or sick and often not sufficiently vaccinated. Our counts clearly show that the illegal puppy trade continues to be a massive problem. The seized dog and cat puppies are only the tip of the iceberg. Last year, the European Union agreed on a law to protect millions of dogs and cats in Europe – this should be finalized in the first half of 2026 Only when the regulation comes into force will illegal puppy traders make their perfidious business much more difficult. Until then, we expect the federal government to set a good example, to continue to advocate for strong regulations and reliable data verification in the development of legal acts and to introduce important protective measures such as the mandatory identification and registration of all dogs and cats kept more quickly than currently planned at European level,” says Birgitt Thiesmann, expert on the illegal puppy trade at FOUR PAWS.
Puppies must be at least 15 weeks old to enter the country
In order for a puppy from the EU to be allowed to enter Germany legally, it must be fully and demonstrably vaccinated against rabies to protect animals and people and have a valid EU pet passport. Puppies cannot be effectively vaccinated against rabies until they are twelve weeks old at the earliest. After a waiting period of three weeks, the vaccination protection takes effect. Accordingly, puppies from other European countries must be at least 15 weeks old in order to be allowed to legally enter Germany. If puppies come from an unlisted third country, such as Russia, they must be at least seven months old to be transported across borders. The youngest puppies picked up in Bavaria were just three weeks old. “The suffering of puppies from illegal trade is unimaginable. They are born under catastrophic conditions in breeding stations, separated from their mothers far too early, often not cared for in a species-appropriate manner and in many cases suffer physical or mental consequences for the rest of their lives – if they even survive the ordeal,” says FOUR PAWS expert on illegal puppy trade, Birgitt Thiesmann.
A particularly large number of animals discovered in Bavaria
The high numbers in Bavaria are particularly striking: here alone, 183 animals were killed in 33 cases last year (41 percent of all cases) picked up from illegal trade, illegal transport or illegal breeding. Bavaria has also been a hotspot in previous years: The state has a direct border with the Czech Republic and offers illegal puppy traders a frequently used route from Romania, Hungary, Moldova, Bulgaria or the Czech Republic. Also in North Rhine-Westphalia (148 animals in 10 cases) and Baden-Württemberg (42 animals in 9 cases) Many cases of illegal puppy trade were discovered.
New breed trend in illegal trade:
Poodles and Poodle mixes
A total of 16 percent of all cases discovered in 2025 involved poodles or poodle mixes. “Poodles and Poodle cross-breeds such as Maltipoos are breeds that have only been playing such a big role in the illegal puppy trade for a few years now, as demand is increasing. As a supposedly easy-to-train, allergy-friendly and non-shedding breed, these puppies also find many buyers on the illegal market,” says Birgitt Thiesmann. But other small breeds such as Dachshunds, Pomeranians and French Bulldogs continue to be a big issue in the illegal puppy trade. Pedigree cats are also particularly popular among kittens. Almost half of all kittens discovered in 2025 (46 percent) were fold-eared cats, like the Scottish Fold – a breed that has clear breeding characteristics and whose breeding is prohibited in Germany according to Section 11b of the Animal Welfare Act.
Germany is a buyer and transit country in the illegal puppy trade
In 2025, Germany was not only a buyer of illegally imported puppies, but also a transit country. According to FOUR PAWS' counts, in 86 percent of cases the dog and cat puppies should actually be sold in Germany. In 14 percent of cases, criminals used Germany as a geographically convenient route to destinations in other European countries. The main destinations last year were Belgium and France.