Traditional practices are often out of touch with modern understanding of right and wrong. Illegal trade removes all consideration of animal welfare, drives theft and mafia economics purely for profit. Domesticated and farmed dogs are classified as pets the world over, save for some isolated regions in Asia, where the emotional intelligence of a dog is recognised, but illegal profiteering trumps animal welfare decency. Cultural change is needed, but education cannot be applied when the trade is black market. The true extent of the problem is unknown because it is illegal. Cruelty thrives in such circumstance and when applied to loving animals such as domestic dogs cannot be condoned in the modern interconnected world that we live.