Bill to tighten rules on dog-breeding approved
The Government has backed the publication of draft legislation aimed at ensuring ethical practices and strengthening animal-welfare standards in the dog-breeding sector.
The proposed reforms will be set out in a draft general scheme to amend the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010.
The Government has also approved priority drafting of the bill, the general scheme of which will be sent to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine for pre-legislative scrutiny.
‘Clear message’
The bill would introduce new measures targeting breeding practices, sales regulations, and enforcement powers.
“By tightening regulations, increasing transparency, and introducing meaningful penalties, we are sending a clear message that poor standards and exploitation will not be tolerated,” said Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon.
Stronger protections for breeding dogs included in the bill are:
- A lifetime limit of four litters per breeding dog, extendable to six only with veterinary approval,
- A one-litter-per-year cap to prevent overbreeding,
- Female dogs under the age of 12 months old cannot be bred,
- Female dogs over eight years old cannot be bred (except with written veterinary certification), and
- Introduction of a mandatory staffing ratio of one worker per 20 breeding dogs, ensuring proper care and oversight within breeding establishments.
Sales of pups
The department says that strict new rules on the sale of pups will include:
- A complete ban on third-party sales, to ensure full transparency for prospective buyers,
- Pups must be at least eight weeks old before they can be removed from the premises and cannot be sold from any premises other than where they were born and reared, and
- Prospective buyers must be shown the pup with its biological mother on-site to allow buyers to see the mother.
New enforcement powers include:
- Authorised officers will gain new powers to seize and detain dogs where welfare breaches are suspected,
- Local authorities will be able to recover costs associated with animal seizure and care, and
- Maximum penalties will increase dramatically, with fines of up to €250,000 and/or imprisonment of up to five years for serious offences.
Mandatory inspection
All new dog-breeding establishments will also be subject to mandatory inspection prior to registration, a measure that the department says will formalise existing practice and place it on a statutory footing.
The bill will also will formalise the publication of a national register of dog-breeding establishments.
New provisions will also enable data sharing between the department, local authorities, and An Garda Síochána to strengthen enforcement co-ordination.