Breeding bill ‘could destroy greyhound industry’
Senators from the party have been seeking amendments to make greyhounds exempt from the bill’s limit of six litters, and the requirement that a bitch is not mated inside 12 months from the previous litter. Another amendment proposes that greyhounds registered through the Irish Coursing Club should be exempt from the micro-chipping requirement in the Bill.
The main purposes of the bill introduced by Environment Minister John Gormley are to regulate dog breeding and provide for an increase in dog licence fees. Fine Gael senator Paudie Coffey from Waterford said Fine Gael agrees that puppy farming must be regulated, but has submitted amendments to protect the greyhound Industry.
