Ms Brenda Fitzpatrick:

All of us come from a background of rescuing animals. Absolutely, there are so many areas that have to be addressed, including the catastrophic puppy farms dotted around the country. Ireland is known as the puppy farm capital of Europe. However, we are also in the business of dealing with rescue dogs. Many rescue dogs are the product of puppy farms. The majority of rescue groups will have robust criteria and procedures in place in circumstances where dogs are being adopted, but I suppose what we are trying to do out there on a different level is shift the narrative and the focus to highlight what is happening on these puppy farms across Ireland. We are also placing an emphasis on people adopting rescue dogs. Unfortunately, the pounds around the country are absolutely overflowing with dogs-----