Anyone thinking of buying a puppy over Christmas are being advised to check the dog has not come from an illegal source.
The advice comes from Essex County Council who say people should follow Essex Trading Standards' advice to avoid getting an illegally imported, possibly sick puppy.
Essex Trading Standards has handled 50 complaints this year about puppies, relating to traders all over the county – either sick puppies bought from farms or illegally imported dogs.
A vet in south Essex became suspicious about a Labrador puppy taken in for routine checks.
It turned out the puppy had been imported from Poland and its date of birth had been altered.
The vet alerted Trading Standards as he believed the puppy was too young to have had a rabies vaccination and so should not have entered the UK.
Essex Trading Standards officers did a check on the seller of the puppy and found there were a further five puppies waiting to be sold and all six dogs were taken into quarantine.
Cllr Roger Walters, Essex County Council's Trading Standards lead, said: "A puppy is a popular Christmas gift.
"Make sure it doesn't end in disappointment get a puppy that is fit, well and legal. Find out about the puppy's background and follow our advice."
Trading Standards' advice is to check the puppy has been vaccinated, but be aware that vaccination cards are easy to fake. If the vet's contact details are not visible or has a non-UK address, the card may be false.
Imported puppies must have a pet passport or vet's certificate confirming it is micro-chipped, vaccinated against rabies, treated for worms and was over three months and 21 days when it was imported.
Trading Standards say a buyer should always see a puppy with its mother and it is best to buy from a local breeder.
Ideally ask to see the father too, or at least a photo of the father, and be suspicious if the breeder cannot show you the mother or father.
Pedigree certificates are not a guarantee for the condition of your dog and may not even mean the puppy is pure-bred.
Contact the Kennel Club for details of the Accredited Breeder Scheme.
They also advise not to sign any paper work without checking it first, as it makes it legally hard to challenge if you are unhappy with the puppy you are sold.
Anyone worried about a puppy they have been sold should contact a vet for advice and treatment.
Anyone with information about illegally imported puppies should contact Citizens Advice Consumer Service 03454 040506.
