The police released two puppies from the attic apartment of a 28-year-old in Iserlohn. There is suspicion of illegal animal trade, said a spokesman. The Maltipoo puppies were handed over to an animal shelter after the mission on Monday. The young dogs had previously been housed in a filthy and polluted storage room.

Maltipoos are small mixed breed dogs, for which high prices of sometimes several thousand euros are paid. The police spokesman said the information on possible illegal trade came from the veterinary office.

According to animal rights activists , the illegal animal trade , especially in puppies, continued to increase during the corona pandemic . As the Bonn-based German Animal Welfare Association found, 75 cases with a total of 818 animals were registered nationwide in the first ten months of 2020 – more than in the entire previous year, when 66 cases with 731 animals were counted. (red / with dpa)