Fourteen puppies were seized by gardaí at Rosslare Europort in Co Wexford on Thursday night.
The puppies were concealed in the back of an SUV and discovered by gardaí on immigration duty at the port, according to a tweet on the Garda Info account. They were handed over to the Wexford Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (WSPCA).
In a post on Facebook, the WSPCA confirmed the seizure, and said the puppies were aged between six and eight weeks old.
Dog ruff! Pups seized last night at Rosslare Port by Gardaí on immigration duty. Concealed in back of a jeep. Handed over to WSPCA. pic.twitter.com/PvRgPmxxah
— Garda Info (@gardainfo) October 20, 2017
The animals were “in plastic containers tied with rope” when they were found and “there was also half a bag of greyhound nuts with them”.
Bridget Cullen, a volunteer with the WSPCA, told The Irish Times the puppies were Cavachons - a mix of Bichon Frise and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel - and Cockapoos - a cross between a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle.
The puppies were seen by a vet on Friday morning and were de-liced, de-wormed and given vaccinations.
The WSPCA received a call from the gardaí at about 9pm on Thursday night following the discovery, just before the ship was due to set sail.
Overall, the animals are in good health, but were scared from the ordeal, according to Ms Cullen.
“Some of them are keeping their heads stuck down in the corner of the kennel,” she said.
The phone has been “hopping all day”, with members of the public calling the centre to inquire about the puppies and to offer donations.
The puppies will be up for rehoming in two to three weeks’ time.
The Wexford-based branch of the Irish animal charity now cares for 30 puppies, eight dogs, 19 kittens and five cats, according to the Facebook post.
