Ireland Banned Puppy Mills
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Global Animal
January 2012

The reference to Ireland as the Puppy Mill of Europe is one that legislators there hope to wipe out. Two 2012 laws require dog breeders to uphold certain standards and give local law enforcement the authority to shut breeders down if they don’t. Irish breeders can still have large numbers of dogs, but they can no longer raise them in dangerous, cramped conditions. By instating these regulations, legislators and authorities hope to find and shut down all the puppy mills in Ireland. We hope that other countries will follow suit. Read more about the new Irish puppy mill laws.

By Cathal Dervan, Irish Central

Puppy farming has been outlawed in Ireland – with harsh penalties now imposed on anyone who breaks the country’s new laws.

Legislation banning puppy farms came into effect on New Year’s Day 2012 as the government looks to clean up the country’s act. The move comes after Ireland became known as the Puppy Farm of Europe. Campaigners have fought for years to protect puppies from unscrupulous breeders.

Now two laws – the Welfare of Greyhounds Act and the Dogs Breeding Establishments Act – have been introduced to control dog breeding and force breeders to look after their animals properly. The new anti-puppy farming legislation makes it impossible to produce hundreds of puppies in grim conditions. Local authority vets also have the right and obligation to inspect all breeding locations. They can immediately shut down any kennels where animals are not being properly cared for. All Irish puppies will be micro-chipped and can now be traced back to the breeder. Breeders will be allowed to keep large numbers of animals, but only under strict conditions and standards set down by the new regulations. All breeders must also be registered with their local authority to comply with the new rules.

Police have encountered several harrowing cases in recent times. Last autumn, a Midlands owner escaped charges after a raid on a puppy farm where 50 dogs were rescued from ‘filthy and overcrowded’ kennels. Officers described the premises as ‘deplorable’.

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