'Puppy farm' protest at Dáil

‘Far too many’ dogs in the country - animal welfare activist

Animal welfare campaigners will protest outside Leinster House today (Wednesday) in a bid to change regulations around what they call “puppy farming”.

Those involved in the protest are calling upon the Department of Agriculture to introduce a “cap” on the amount of breeding females any one Dog Breeding Establishment (DBE) can hold.

Any premises that has six or more female dogs over six months of age and capable of breeding, is considered a Dog Breeding Establishment.

In Cavan, there are currently six DBEs on this register, one of which is the largest in Ireland. ‘Five Star Paws’ is registered at Poles, Cavan and is licensed to hold 300 bitches.

In Monaghan, there are four registered DBEs all of which have 6-18 female dogs.

All dog breeding establishments are required to undergo an annual veterinary inspection to ensure compliance with welfare standards in Ireland.

Part of this inspection is to ensure that animals are in good health, have appropriately sized enclosures and that these enclosures are clean and have adequate food, water and bedding.

An inspection report for Five Star Paws carried out in December last year said findings were “satisfactory”.

Campaigners are calling for stricter regulations around living conditions, exercise and socialisation times for each dog at a DBE.

While not involved in this protest, Tina Boyle of Cavan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said there are “far too many” breeding females “allowed” at establishments.

She also said there are “far too many” dogs in the country currently. As she speaks to the Celt, she has 19 dogs around her from the rescue centre, but this is sometimes 30.

“How do they justify giving out licences when there are so many rescues in the country trying to rehome them [dogs]?”

The shelter is also registered on the DBE list in Cavan, however they must register “in order to comply”.

“Believe me, it’s not easy to comply. I had to jump through a lot of hoops to comply.”

She advised buyers about purchasing puppies.

“You should research what you are looking for, and you should be able to see the parents of these pups in the environment they have been brought up in,” she said.

“You should also be able to see vaccination details which are signed off by vets.”

One of the protest participants, Máirín Ni Chonghaile, described: “In Ireland it is legal to hold unlimited amounts of female dogs in a shed or building for the sheer purpose of producing puppies.”

As a Clinical Animal Behaviouralist Máirín claims she sees the “results” of that “every day”.

The Department of Agriculture has announced proposed reforms to amend the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010, which they say would introduce new measures targeting breeding practices, sales regulations, and enforcement powers.

However, Ms Ni Chonghaile said within the proposed new legislation, the government “still haven’t introduced a cap for the number of female dogs that can be kept on a premises”.

“That’s why we are holding the protest,” she said.

Speaking in the Dáil in July, Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon said while the Dog Breeding Establishments (Amendment) Bill 2026 is being “actively progressed”, a “hard legislative cap” on the total number of breeding females at a dog breeding establishment is “not included” in the present draft.

“Legal advice indicates that there are difficulties with such an approach,” he said, while also listing “practical issues”.

“My Department is considering it further.”

The Minister said the bill will legally require breeding establishments to employ a minimum of one full-time staff member for every 20 breeding dogs on the premises, while he said a strengthened improvement notice regime will empower authorised persons to require a reduction in the number of dogs on premises where welfare concerns arise.

While Máirín said some of the measures being introduced are “very valid” she said “the simplest thing” to do is “put a cap on the number of female dogs that can be held at a premises”.