New legislation for puppy farms

The Government is to introduce new standards for puppy farms, it was announced yesterday.

The Department of the Environment will begin work on introducing the standards shortly. The announcement follows a report from the Working Group on the Management of Dog Breeding Establishments in response to cases of mistreatment of dogs at puppy farms.

The group included representatives of the ISPCA, the Veterinary Council of Ireland, and industry bodies such as the Dog Breeders' Association of Ireland, the Irish Kennel Club and the Irish Greyhound Board. The report found there was a need to introduce legislation to enforce standards for the dog-breeding industry, and proposed the introduction of a registration system for dog-breeding establishments.

Speaking yesterday at the start of National Spay Week, Minister for the Environment Dick Roche said: "Having considered the many divergent views on the issue, I have decided to proceed with the implementation of the majority recommendations of the working group."