Hungarian vizsla is so popular that criminals started to steal and breed it in Western Europe
Hungarian vizsla has become so popular in Western Europe that criminals began to steal dogs, even from shelters. The price of a purebred puppy is EUR 2,000. Thus, it is not surprising that somebody stole three puppies from the dog shelter of Heilbad Heiligenstadt in Türingia, Germany. The puppies were found near a road, where probably smugglers left them afraid of police control.
According to Blikk, the criminals took only the three Hungarian vizsla puppies (a male and two females) from the dog shelter even though more than 100 dogs were there. Police issued a warrant to catch the perpetrators.
Attila Szabó, an animal rights activist, said demand is vast for Hungarian vizsla dogs in Western Europe. Therefore, illegal breeders switched to breed this species. Fighting against them is shadowboxing because if people keep buying illegally bred vizsla dogs, there will always be a supply. Illegal breeders do not care for the troublesome consequences of their deeds: harming the reputation of the Hungarian vizsla, the species’ gene pool, and the honour of the legal breeders.
A well-trained Hungarian vizsla costs more than EUR 20,000
The heyday of the Hungarian and Romanian illegal breeders is Christmas and Easter. On the market of the Italian Tarvisio, they regularly appear with Hungarian vizsla puppies even though the dogs do not have a chip or a register.
On the illegal dog market of Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark, Hungarian vizsla is also on the top. Legalising the business is easy; the illegal breeders say they found the puppies. As a result, the dogs can acquire a chip, a passport and even a register, provided they are at least 90% purebred.
A purebred puppy costs EUR 2,000 currently in Western Europe, and the price is only expected to increase. On the black market, you can acquire a puppy for only 1/5th of that sum, but you will not get a register.
The Hungarian vizsla is a hunting dog. However, if you acquire it illegally, you cannot send it to official trainings or exams. Andrea Varga, a Hungarian vizsla trainer, said a trained vizsla can cost even EUR 20,000. Their nose is excellent, and they are the most reliable dogs a hunter can wish for, so demand is huge for them among professional hunters.
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