The Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (USPCA) has expressed alarm after four banned American pit-bull terriers were discovered in Co Down yesterday. They were found in an area close to where more than 70 dogs were also found on Thursday evening.
The PSNI and the USPCA, in a joint operation at an isolated farm near Katesbridge on Thursday night, found more than 70 breeding dogs, mostly Rottweilers, boxers and different types of terriers, according to David Wilson of the USPCA. Then yesterday evening dozens more dogs, many of them pups, were found close to that farm, he added.
"What is most alarming about the second discovery is that it included four American pit-bull terriers, which are banned here but used for secretive dog fighting in the North and South," said Mr Wilson. He suspected that in both cases they had discovered pup-breeding operations which can be very lucrative for their owners.
"The dogs were decently enough fed, but they were being kept in poor conditions," said Mr Wilson. He said the owners were clearly acting contrary to animal welfare legislation but that the USPCA and the police were having difficulty in establishing who owned the dogs.
"There were people at the farm on Thursday but they insisted the dogs weren't theirs," said Mr Wilson. All the dogs found in both raids were taken into the care of the USPCA.
Mr Wilson said no pups were found on the first farm because, he suspected, they had all been sold over the Christmas period. "You are talking big money here," he said. "Each pup would fetch about £300 (€437).
"There were over 50 bitches on the first farm and the way the different breeds of dogs were thrown together you could expect two litters from each bitch, and that, all told, is about 600 dogs at £300 each. That's £180,000," he said.
Eddie McGrady, SDLP MP for South Down, has tabled an early day motion in the House of Commons calling for tighter legislation to prevent animal cruelty.
DUP Assembly member for South Down, Jim Wells, said the current animal welfare legislation was "extremely outdated and very weak" and must be urgently updated.