ISPCA: buy puppies from reputable breeders

GIVE power to the puppies this Christmas by buying pets from reputable breeders

That was the message from the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) yesterday, which has spent €100,000 this year exposing appalling cruelty in four disreputable puppy farms.

ISPCA spokeswoman Niamh Delahunty said one of the worst cases they came across was in Tipperary where 110 dachshunds were kept in makeshift wooden containers with very little food and water.

“In another appalling case we found a poor German Shepherd dog in Stradbally, County Laois, who had lost 75% of his body hair because he was fed on a diet of suet (animal fat) and subsequently died,” said Ms Delahunty.

The ISPCA wants people to buy from a reputable dog breeder this Christmas and to contact the Irish Kennel Club for a list of these.

“Animal shelters are also an excellent place when choosing a pet and staff are happy to help prospective owners with advice,” Ms Delahunty said.

The ISPCA campaign was endorsed by the gardaí and TV3 news anchor Claire Byrne yesterday as the pre-Christmas puppy buying season gets into full swing.

There are no regulations covering dog breeding here, which has led to terrible abuse with dogs being kept in small pens, with little or no food or water and over-bred for a long period.

The ISPCA’s raid on four disreputable centres in Laois, Tipperary, Cork and Cavan this year has exposed how the lack of regulation is allowing this to continue.

This prompted former environment minister Martin Cullen to set up a working group to review the management of dog breeding establishments. Both the ISPCA and the Irish Kennel Club are represented on this group along with a number of reputable dog breeders and they will make recommendations on how best to regulate dog breeders.

“We will be asking the minister to set up a licensing system where all dog breeders will have to be inspected before they can operate, and new laws limiting the number of dogs that can be kept in one place,” said Ms Delahunty.

She thanked the gardaí, Claire Byrne, and Eircom Phonewatch for their support in the campaign.

Chief crime prevention officer Inspector Pat McCabe said that gardaí were delighted to be part of the initiative and encouraged people to report any suspected cruelty to animals.