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Customs rescued dozens of puppies and kittens in 2023

Austrian customs collected around 8.1 billion euros in 2023. In the picture: a seized puppy(Bild: APA/BMF/ZOLL)

Customs freed a total of 92 dogs and 26 cats from the hands of smugglers last year. The majority of the animals were picked up during mobile controls. 

Most of the animals were puppies and kittens that were far too young "Accepting immense animal suffering in order to make a profit shows a particular irresponsibility towards defenseless creatures. These cases are frightening proof of how important the work of local customs officers is not only for the protection of us humans, but also for animals. I am proud that our employees are doing such important work in the fight against animal smuggling to prevent animal suffering," said Finance Minister Magnus Brunner.

While 90 dogs and 19 cats were apprehended in 2022, this figure rose to 92 dogs and 26 cats in 2023.

The majority of seizures during mobile customs checks
The majority of animals were apprehended during mobile customs checks and mostly originate from south-eastern Europe. Young animals are often smuggled in.

Apprehensions in road traffic 
There is also a clear trend in terms of smuggling routes: with 102 seizures in road traffic in 2022 and 114 seizures in 2023, there is a clear trend towards transportation by car and truck. In contrast, 5 cases were detected in air travel in 2022 and three in 2023.