August 19, 2026, 3:06 pm | Read time: 7 minutes
A young dog is brought from Russia to Germany. Its transport is registered, the microchip is present, and the documents show a rabies vaccination and an antibody test. Nevertheless, the animal contracts rabies and dies. Months later, a forensic specialist lab reveals that the vaccine stickers were forged. The case highlights how dangerous fake vaccine stickers for dogs from abroad can be and how little security even seemingly complete documents offer. Dr. Petra Sindern, a member of the Small Animal Committee of the Federal Veterinary Chamber and vice president of the Federal Association of Practicing Veterinarians, tells PETBOOK: “Forgers and smugglers are simply criminals, nothing less.”
Fake Vaccine Stickers Looked Deceptively Real
The dog came from Russia, purchased through an internet platform of a Russian organization. At the end of 2025, it arrived in Europe along with other dogs and cats. The animals were destined for Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, and France.
According to the Saarland Ministry of the Environment, the transport was properly registered. The documents and the implanted microchip of the dog, which later died, were initially not questioned. According to the papers, the animal was vaccinated against rabies. Additionally, an antibody test and the waiting period required for entry were documented. Everything seemed unremarkable.
At the end of January 2026, the situation changed drastically. The dog had to undergo surgery and subsequently showed neurological symptoms. It was then placed in a quarantine station, where it died the following night. Later, it became clear: It had rabies.
It also turned out that the dog was significantly younger than stated in the documents. In August 2026, specialists at the forensic lab of MSD Animal Health in Schachen, Switzerland, proved that the vaccine stickers in the animal’s passport were forged.
Even a Regular Veterinary Practice Can’t Detect the Forgery
Can a consumer recognize a professionally forged vaccine sticker, stamp, or vaccination entry? Dr. Petra Sindern has a clear answer: “No.” Even a regular veterinary practice cannot reliably verify the authenticity of a professionally forged sticker or batch number. And that is the real scandal of the case.
Only a forensic specialist lab could prove months later that the vaccine stickers were forged. By that time, the dog was long dead, while people and other animals may have already come into contact with it.
A legitimate-looking passport, a vaccine sticker, a veterinary stamp, and even a documented antibody test do not automatically guarantee that a dog has been effectively vaccinated.
Also interesting: Fear of Risks – Do You Still Vaccinate Your Pet?
Foreign Animal Protection Is Also a Big Market
Dogs from abroad are in high demand in Germany. Interested parties select dogs via websites and social networks. A study published in 2020 by the Justus Liebig University Giessen estimated that more than 100,000 dogs were brought to Germany within a year through animal protection organizations. The researchers identified hundreds of involved associations. The actual number could be even higher.
Thus, foreign animal protection has long been a significant economic factor. However, it has a downside. Where there is high demand, opportunities arise for people who are not primarily interested in rescuing animals but in making money with them. “One should be aware that not every imported dog has actually been ‘rescued,’” warns Sindern.
Unscrupulous dog breeders specifically cater to this demand in Germany with this promise. Especially dogs that match a current trend are reproduced abroad and then offered as supposed animal protection cases. The term “rescued” is not a protected quality seal. Even an emotional adoption ad, pictures from a shelter, or the claim that a dog urgently needs to leave do not prove serious animal protection work.
“Dogs Should Only Be Imported to Germany in Individual Cases”
The German Animal Welfare Federation has a clear position. The focus of animal welfare work abroad must be on helping on-site. The association states: “Dogs should only be imported to Germany in individual cases and only from countries where the principle of ‘Catch, Neuter, Release’ cannot be legally implemented to at least temporarily ease the situation there.”
Sindern Recommends Help in the Country of Origin
Dr. Petra Sindern also sees sustainable help not necessarily in importing a dog: “If someone is primarily concerned with reducing or preventing animal suffering in the respective foreign country, a generous donation to fund neutering projects and accommodation in their own country is a very good idea.”
Neither Sindern nor the German Animal Welfare Federation fundamentally question every serious association or every individual foreign dog. However, both make it clear: Importing to Germany must not become the primary purpose of foreign animal protection.
In addition to rabies, animals from abroad can bring other diseases. Sindern mentions leishmaniasis, anaplasmosis, heartworms, and babesiosis. “Serious organizations test dogs for these diseases and only bring them to Germany if they are either free of them or have undergone treatment,” she explains.
The test results, the timing of the examinations, and known diseases must be disclosed to future owners. A mere “The dog is healthy” is not enough. However, the current case makes it clear that even presented evidence can be manipulated. Therefore, a buyer cannot rely solely on documents.
What Buyers Must Still Check at the Handover
Buyers cannot detect professional forgeries. Nevertheless, they must check everything that is verifiable. At the handover, read the dog’s microchip and compare the displayed number with the documents. “If I am an organization importing dogs, I always have a reader. They are not that expensive,” says Sindern. If the seller refuses the check, interested parties should not take the dog. “If there is nothing to hide, an open check will be offered,” emphasizes the veterinarian.
Also, age, identification, vaccination date, and entry date must plausibly match. The seller or association must be clearly identifiable and reachable. An anonymous handover in a parking lot is a disqualifying factor. Sindern warns: “Never, really never, should a dog be taken over in a parking lot or similar–especially not out of pity!”
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The Case Shows the Limits of All Controls
Even these precautions would not have necessarily exposed the fake vaccine stickers of the Russian dog. Its chip and the required documents were initially not questioned.
This is precisely where the urgency of the case lies. Criminals can now forge the evidence so professionally that even experts can only verify their authenticity months later in a specialist lab. Consumers and regular veterinary practices cannot close this control gap. Therefore, it is not enough to keep giving interested parties new checklists for buying a dog. The system of mass dog imports must also be questioned.
Foreign Animal Protection Must Primarily Take Place Abroad
The transport of individual dogs to Germany can be sensible in justified cases. However, it must not become the business model around which an entire market revolves.
The case of the dog imported from Russia shows the consequences of inadequate controls of origin, age, and vaccination protection. A dog dies, other animals must be monitored, and people can become infected with a nearly always fatal disease.
Sustainable foreign animal protection must therefore start where the animal suffering originates. Neutering, vaccination programs, medical care, education, and better accommodation in the country of origin not only help an individual animal but also change the situation for many dogs in the long term. Importing dogs to Germany should, however, remain the justified exception–as also demanded by the German Animal Welfare Federation.