REGISTERED DOG BREEDING ESTABLISHMENTS
So you’re thinking of buying a puppy. You’re human. Humans have power. A lot of power.
PLEASE THINK ABOUT THIS BEFORE YOU BUY A DOG.
We have written a short piece on puppy farming in Ireland with links to some helpful articles. Please have a read.
YOUR CHOICES CAN IMPACT NOT JUST THE DOG YOU BUY, BUT ITS MOTHER, ITS FATHER AND ITS LITTER MATES.
BUYING DOGS KEEPS THE CYCLE OF BREEDING GOING AND GOING, AND WITH IT COMES OVERBREEDING, ABUSE, AND NEGLECT IN SHELTERS.
If you are concerned about the welfare of dogs, you know how important it is to look at rehoming as there are so many dogs for rescue. You KNOW the hashtag doesn’t exist just for funsies. #AdoptDontShop is the best method. Just think of all the amazing pet homes out there and all the suffering that could be ended if more people just looked to rescue dogs.
BUT THERE ARE LAWS REGULATING BREEDERS - SO WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
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The dog breeding legislation in Ireland is not drafted brilliantly, so it tries to cover everything from small-scale breeders all the way to huge establishments (see note below). Enforcement of the dog-breeding legislation lacks transparency; there is presently very little way to know that the standards in these breeding facilities is that required by law. Ask local authorities for copies of their inspections records - you’re gonna be met in most instances with a response that in summary is - feck off.
Why is this you ask? Well that’s a very good question. The fact that local authorities are so reticent to provide their inspection records of these places - is not good. Where a body does not want to be transparent about what they are doing - you gotta ask - WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?
So please if you are thinking of buying a puppy from a dog breeder on the list below, do not take the fact that they are on this list as confirmation that they run a nice business. Some do, some don’t. Oh and if any breeders don’t like what we have written here - then we suggest you tell local authorities to be more transparent - if you want to have a chat with us about how best to do this we would love to help.
SO WHY HAVE THE LIST THEN?
Because we acknowledge that people have many different reasons for considering buying a dog, so at the very least we’ll share information so buyers can make the best possible decisions. Make good decisions!
Also, this list is here because some local authorities (not all) like to play silly buggers and make it very difficult for members of the public to access their register. In fact, CARLOW COUNTY COUNCIL is presently being right,
Sigh…. We try to ensure that this list is updated twice yearly but it’s becoming increasingly hard to get sense out of some local authorities. Where a list is available on a local authority's website, we will note this.
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But note WE DO NOT IN ANY WAY ENDORSE patronising the breeders on the list below.
Also some notes about the list:
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The legislation does not place any limit on the number of dogs that can be kept for breeding purposes – there are facilities in Ireland with up to 300 breeding bitches.
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The only proviso is if you have more than 6 bitches, over the age of 6 months and capable of breeding, you need a license from the local authority. So this means that boarding kennels and rescues are supposed to be registered where they have more than 6 bitches capable of breeding – even if there is no intention to breed
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The license must state the owner's name, address, the address of the dog breeding establishment (DBE), how many bitches are allowed to be kept, and any conditions attached to the registration.
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​The register kept by each local authority MUST be made available to the public.
OK SO ABOUT MAKING GOOD CHOICES…
Things to do when buying a puppy:
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Check that the person you are buying from is on the dog breeding establishment list. If not contact the local council to double-check (our list might be out of date)
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Check how many dogs the person is registered to breed and if lots - have a read of our post on puppy farming
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Check to see whether there are any conditions attaching to registration - e.g. sometimes conditions will say “breeder to ensure clean water is available” - this means that previously clean water was not available. Have a think about whether you want to support this.
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Check that the seller/supplier is on the Register of Sellers and Suppliers of Pet Animals. Also, check that the premises connected with the sale/supply is entered onto the Register of Premises. This list is published by DAFM so just google it and a PDF should be available - any trouble let us know.
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If you are looking at an ad - check that there is a registration number for the seller/ supplier, check the age of the animal (it must be over 8 weeks), ensure that a microchip number is on the ad and check the country of origin.