If you were ever in doubt that celebrities such as Paris Hilton could influence the market in puppy trading look at this story featured on Sky News today June 10th.

According to the report by Sky's Europe correspondant Greg Milam, rogue breeders are exploiting the demand for lapdogs or so-called 'handbag dogs' fashionable amongst celebrities such as Paris H and Britney Spears. The puppies or 'pint sized' dogs have often been paraded before the picture hungry press, by so called celebrity pet lovers, as fashionable accessories fitting neatly in or alongside their designer handbags.

These dogs may be small but they command a bigger price and as Milam reports "People are getting more inventive when searching for a bargain." The Sky news investigation has found evidence that new-borns are often transported hundreds of miles in cramped conditions and sold at cut price. Worse still dogs are bread in poor conditions and die when they are weeks old.

I saw the report on Sky News and feel compelled to give you the full transcript of Greg Milam's report in my blog: more dog lovers need to know about this to help put a stop to this sad and ugly trade.

To give you a puppy price comparison " A Mexican hairless puppy, which would cost £1,500 in the UK (aprox. $3,000) can be bought for less than £200 (aprox $400) at a market in Hungary. Breeds like Chihuahuas, Yorkshire terriers and golden retrievers are among the most popular.

The end of border checks on mainland Europe has made the trade more easy.

Investigators say the dogs are often bred in poor conditions, many have no vaccinations and some are inbred.

One animal rights campaigner, who regularly visits the markets, told Sky News: "The dogs are mentally disturbed because these are baby dogs, puppies taken away from their mothers after five or six weeks which is too early. The result is heavy physical and psychological diseases.

"If there is no consumer buying dogs like this, the market will dry up but when people are willing to pay money for a life, the disaster is clear."

Campainers say the rogue traders often use professional-looking websites and regularly change company names to stay ahead of animal welfare groups.

Vet Antonius Mensdorff-Pouilly regularly sees dogs bought from the markets at his surgery in Vienna. He says people are being duped but the trade is being driven by fashion trends.

Marie Claire Macintosh, head of programmes for the charity Four Paws, said "Their background would really turn people off even considering buying a puppy in such awful conditions. We encourage people to go and adopt animals from rescue centres, and reputable shelters.

"If people are buying from car boot sales and markets, they are supporting the trade."

If you want to watch the video report please go to :

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1318502,00.html

Puppies from these unscrupulous traders are even being taken to the U.S, probably to be sold on to unsuspecting buyers... so please don't be tempted by a cheap puppy deal. It will end up costing you more in vet fees and heartache, but the real victims are undoubtedly the helpless puppies themselves.