Can you spot a puppy farm?

A puppy farm is where dogs are bred intensively for profit with little or no thought being given to their welfare.

Over the last two years, we have cared for 161 victims of puppy farming! Many of the dogs suffered from matted coats, caked in their own excrement, overgrown nails, dental disease, ear infections, skin infections and were described by the charity’s veterinary and behaviour teams as ‘terrified’ of human contact. So bad was the condition of the dogs’ coats, many had to be shaved upon arrival.

Puppies and their mums are often kept cramped together in dirty and poorly lit pens.

They’re often denied exercise and natural sunlight and left with little or no bedding.

The mums are continuously bred until they are too old, or sick, and are then often callously discarded. Frequently, puppies who taken from their mum while they are still weaning, can develop lifelong behavioural, health and developmental issues.

Rescued mums and their pups can take a huge amount of commitment, hard work, patience and love to help them turn into happy, healthy and well-rounded dogs.

Thanks to our dog loving supporters, we help rescue mums and pups from lives of torment and put their paws on the path to a new life of hope and happiness.

We also lobby for the rights and welfare of all dogs, who are the victims of abandonment or cruelty.

The Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2013 or the DBE Act as it is more commonly referred to, applies to any establishment/person who has 6 or more female dogs capable of breeding.

In February 2020, laws to crack down on the illegal sale of dogs and pups in Ireland were introduced – and welcomed by Dogs Trust and other animal welfare organisations.

To sell pets, a person must:

• Register sales with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine if selling six or more pets per calendar year
• Display a Dog Breeding Establishment number if in possession of six or more female dogs capable of breeding
• Include specific information in an advertisement of a pet animal for sale, including the microchip number*

*lack of a microchip or a non-valid microchip, could indicate the person does not want to be traced, and raises a big red flag for the dog’s welfare, and the conditions they are being kept in.

The laws also state that it is illegal to sell a puppy less than eight weeks old.

The aim of these laws is to stamp out cruel and illegal dog breeding and improve the health and welfare of dogs being sold and supplied.

It is a LEGAL requirement for the sale or supply of a dog that a microchip certificate accompanies the dog. Please don't ever trust a person who 'will send you on the paperwork in the post'.