Irish Examiner view: We need to tighten up our pet breeding laws

Some of the dogs recovered during a Garda raid on an illegal puppy farm in north Dublin in 2020.

The extent of the illegal puppy trade between Ireland and Britain is shocking, but hardly surprising, given the legislative weakness governing pet breeding in the Republic and the lack of proper controls on the trade in Northern Ireland.

Ireland is a gateway for the multi-million-euro black market of young dogs into Britain, according to an investigation by the BBC’s Spotlight. Animal protection societies told the programme the illicit trade sees tens of thousands of dogs moved every year from the Republic through Northern Ireland and on to Britain, mostly through the port of Belfast.