‘Barking mad': Taxpayers funding dog which crossed Channel with migrant
Taxpayers are funding a dog which crossed the English Channel with a migrant.
A German Shepherd was taken ashore after Border Force officials discovered it in Dover, Kent.
It accompanied one of the 1,183 migrants who have arrived on small boats since Saturday last week.
The dog, which was at the end of a 21-mile journey in a dinghy, will now spend at least four months in Government-approved quarantine at the taxpayer's expense.
Its owner is believed to be staying in a hotel for asylum seekers.
The case, first reported by The Sun, is believed to be the first time a dog has crossed the Channel with an illegal migrant.
Money will have to be spent on the animal to prevent the spread of rabies and other infectious diseases it may have brought to the country.
Police were reportedly considering whether to adopt the canine as an official border dog.
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice told the newspaper that the case showed Britain's borders were wide open.
He said: 'This country's open borders policy is so porous even household pets are arriving.'
Chris Philip, the shadow home secretary, said: 'Labour have lost control of our borders.
'Their pledge to smash the gangs lies in tatters.
'Since taking office, we have seen nearly 36,000 illegal arrivals and now even dogs are making the crossing.
'The cost of quarantining this dog will run into thousands, all paid for by the British taxpayer.
'It is barking mad.'
A source told The Sun that the experience was 'a first' and that Border Force officials 'couldn't believe their eyes but treated the animal with the same humanity they show any individual'.
They said: 'No one truly knows where this animal has come from or its back story so every precaution has to be taken to protect the public.
'Vets will need to give it a full check-up with jabs and vaccinations to ensure it poses no risk before it can be allowed out of isolation.
'Asylum applications can take years so the pet may need months of further care in kennels until its owner is processed.'
A Government spokesman told The Sun: 'The UK takes biosecurity very seriously.
'Where an animal comes from an unlisted country, it is placed in quarantine to prevent dangerous diseases like rabies coming into the country.
'We all want to see the end to dangerous boat crossings that undermine our border security and put lives at risk.'
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