Legislation vital to protect dogs

WE are a coalition of animal-welfare groups with extensive experience working with dogs in this country.

Ireland does not have the standards in place that are present in other countries thus ensuring that unscrupulous breeders are able to take full advantage of our lax controls, leading to widely reported incidents of over-breeding of animals in poor welfare conditions and the unwelcome title of the “puppy farm capital of Europe”.

The intensive dog breeding industry has acknowledged that approximately 90,000 puppies are bred annually of which 45,000 are exported overseas, primarily to Britain. This trade in puppies is valued at €29m. We strongly believe that permanent identification of these pups before they leave the premises is essential in order to identify the origin of the puppy.