Dachshund trafficking in Essonne: veterinary surgeon and two women before the courts
A veterinary surgeon and two women appeared in Évry for industrial trafficking in miniature dachshunds purchased in Romania. The prosecutor requested sentences of up to four years in prison.
Illegal puppy breeding network tried in Évry
The correctional court in Évry examined on Wednesday a case of large-scale animal cruelty, according to lefigaro.fr: a 70-year-old veterinary surgeon and two women aged 38 and 52 appeared for organised fraud between December 2025 and June 2026, as well as for offences related to illegal puppy breeding.
The prosecutor requested four years' imprisonment, three of which suspended, and a fine of €50,000 against the main defendant. For the second woman, she sought one year in prison suspended and €7,000 in fines. The veterinary surgeon faces two years' imprisonment suspended.
"This is a case that combines the sophistication of an organised crime operation with the abuse inflicted on animals over many months," the magistrate declared, describing the facts as "trafficking on an industrial scale".
Puppies purchased in Romania and resold via online classified adverts
The two women are accused of purchasing puppies in Romania and France, victims of mistreatment in illegal breeding operations, before reselling them on classified advert websites. The veterinary surgeon, described by the prosecution as the "cornerstone of this system", allegedly served as a "rubber stamp" by microchipping several dozen miniature dachshunds brought by his co-defendants, who used intermediaries.
The case began in December 2025 after a private individual reported puppies "howling" in an apartment in Leuville-sur-Orge. On site, eight puppies were found held in very poor conditions, locked in a cage.
Around thirty dachshunds discovered in unsanitary conditions
Complaints filed by animal protection associations in early 2026 led to further discoveries. One of them resulted in four puppies being found in a rubbish bag in Brétigny-sur-Orge on 7 January. Investigators then learned that animals were being sold from a house in Saulx-les-Chartreux.
In June, during a fortuitous eviction from this property, gendarmes discovered around thirty miniature dachshunds in unsanitary conditions, in the midst of a heatwave.
In court, the main defendant downplayed her responsibility: "Only three dogs were mine, the others belonged to my ex-partner." The court's decision will probably be reserved and delivered at a later date.
Source: Google News MA — Crime (fr)