Custom officers yesterday discovered a pet Chihuahua being smuggled into the country stuffed in a small bag.
The tiny dog, hidden in a cage, arrived in Dublin Airport from a flight from Madrid with a Bulgarian man.
It was found when his hand luggage was scanned through an x-ray machine and the image of the animal flashed up on screen.
Customs officer Robin Broni, who made the discovery, said he had never seen anything like it in his 20-year career.
“As one of the officers said, they actually thought it was a toy dog because it was standing up and it looked so rigid,” he said.
“When we unzipped the bag and discovered it was a real dog we were more than surprised. In my 20 odd years in customs I have never seen a dog going through a customs machine.”
Mr Broni said they stopped the passenger for a spot check because he looked nervous.
He had travelled from Sofia in Bulgaria, via the Spanish capital, where he managed to sneak the animal past customs.
It is understood the dog was being smuggled in as a gift for someone.
Legally, dogs must have clearance and a health certificate before being brought into the country.
The animal, which Mr Broni said seemed tired but unharmed, was handed over to Department of Agriculture officials where it was placed in quarantine.
The man was allowed through customs but a file was being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.