Approximately 500 bulldog French were discovered in an aircraft of the Ukrainian (illustration). — MARY EVANS/SIPA
An investigation has been opened after the discovery to the airport Toronto about 500 puppies to board a plane
Ukrainian, of which 38 were dead and others in poor health, announced on Saturday that the canadian food inspection agency (CFIA). The young
dogs, bulldog French very popular in Canada, were on board of a unit of the company Ukraine International Airlines (UAI), which landed on 13 June at the Toronto Pearson international airport.
Thirty-eight animals were dead on arrival and several others were suffering from dehydration, weakness and/or vomiting, said the agency. “The officials of the CFIA to investigate and document currently available on the circumstances surrounding this incident and will determine next steps once the investigation is completed,” says in a press release the canadian agency, in particular, responsible for regulating the import of animals.
“It was a nightmare “
A dog who had just recover from another pet in the cargo area of the airport where the puppies were discovered last Saturday, has described a ” scene of horror “. “It was a nightmare,” she testified to the public broadcaster CBC. “Canada and the federal government should change the laws on the importation of these puppies “.
In a message published Friday on Facebookthe company Ukrainian UIA has presented its “condolences for the tragic loss of animal life” aboard one of its aircraft. The company works in cooperation with the local authorities to determine what happened and to make the necessary changes in order to avoid that such a situation does not occur again “, she promised.
A very lucrative market
For its part, the CFIA ensures that ” the Canada applies strict standards to the import of animals in order to protect canadian animals against the introduction of serious animal diseases “. “All import requirements must be met before an animal is imported,” the agency says.
According to an academic quoted by the CBC, the sale of puppies is a lucrative market in Canada, where most buyers believe that animals have been bred in this country. This market is sometimes the object of trafficking involving organized crime, according to him. “You speak of 500, bulldog French. If they are sold between 3,000 and 4,000 dollars (between 2,000 and 2,600 euros) each, it makes a lot of money, ” commented professor Scott Weese, university of Guelph (Ontario).
