Yahoo – AFP, Douglas Dalby, October 3, 2016
 |
| Some of the 59 puppies that were rescued at the port of Dublin during an operation involving the DSPCA, Gardai and Customs officials (AFP Photo) |
Dublin
(AFP) - Illegal dog-breeding on an industrial scale has turned Ireland into the
"puppy farm capital of Europe", according to campaigners who say a
recent crackdown is failing to curb the lucrative business.
Thousands
of puppies worth hundreds of euros (dollars) each are shipped to British ports
and then on to mainland Europe every year, many of them secreted in the back of
vans and cars.
Ireland's
canine trade is "a national disgrace", said Brian Gillen, head of the
Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA).
"Our
aim is to put them out of business," he said. "The more we interrupt
their trade, the more it hits them where it hurts: in their pockets. We want to
make it uneconomic for them to continue."
Although
buoyed by recent seizures at various ports throughout Ireland, welfare agencies
continue to face an uphill battle against an export industry -- much of it
illicit -- involving at least 30,000 pups a year worth up to 20 million euros
($22 million).
Seven
intelligence-led seizures at Irish ports over the past two months alone have
yielded 150 puppies.
 |
Some of the
59 puppies that were rescued at the port of Dublin during an
operation
involving the DSPCA, Gardai and Customs officials (AFP Photo)
|
Most were
so-called "designer breeds" such as Beagles, Bichon Frises, French
Bulldogs or King Charles Spaniels. One shipment discovered in a car boot was
worth just under 30,000 euros.
Many of the
puppies are too young to travel, lack mandatory pet passports and microchips
and are a potential health risk due to a failure to inoculate them against the
deadly rabies virus.
All of
them, according to welfare agencies, will likely develop mental and physical
illnesses as a result of in-breeding and their treatment.
Raids on
illegal puppy farms have found cramped conditions, little or no exercise or
interaction, poor sanitation and even lack of access to water.
Campaigners
say that the vast majority of smuggled puppies continue to escape detection.
Prosecutions
are rare and to date nobody has been jailed for even the most flagrant
breaches.
"We do
not believe that local authorities are best placed to enforce the
regulations," said Suzie Carley, a spokeswoman for Dogs Trust, a
Dublin-based animal welfare group, calling on the central government to take
control of the crackdown.
'A money
racket'
The DSPCA
has already worked with government agencies in Britain to develop a
co-ordinated strategy for stemming a trade facilitated by the immediacy of the
internet and the popularity of certain smaller breeds.
 |
Some of the
59 puppies that were rescued at the port of Dublin during an
operation
involving the DSPCA, Gardai and Customs officials (AFP Photo)
|
The
twin-track approach involves high-profile seizures of "cargo" at
ports in Ireland and Northern Ireland as well as public education campaigns to
raise awareness among would-be buyers of the animal cruelty they are
facilitating and the potential trouble they face for purchasing dogs illegally.
Gillen said
the export trade from Ireland is particularly prevalent due to
"historically useless" legislation and "lax controls",
although the government has toughened laws in recent years.
Official
figures show there are 73 registered puppy farms in the Republic of Ireland
producing at least 30,000 dogs a year. In contrast, 895 establishments in
Britain produce only around 70,000 puppies.
According
to welfare organisations, some farms have more than 500 breeding bitches. The
DSCPA said it would like to see them limited to 10 or fewer.
"It's
certainly a money racket. I would hesitate to call any dog a 'fashion
statement' but there is little doubt that celebrity culture combined with the
instant gratification enabled by the internet is fuelling this horrible
trade," said David Wilson, spokesman for the Ulster Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Northern Ireland.
"Traditionally,
you would contact a reputable breeder who would put you on a list but nowadays
people are not prepared to wait.
"You
can go online now in the morning and pick up the dog in a car park without any
questions being asked -- it's that simple nowadays."
No comments:
Post a Comment