Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wholeheartedly agree with the Deputy. We all recognise the important issues regarding puppy welfare. A number of submissions were made during the public consultation process. I expect to publish the revised guidelines by the end of this month. We can also be positive about some of the changes that have been made under the Animal Welfare Acts, including microchipping, and the trends in dog control statistics. The total number of dogs euthanised in local authority pounds was 996 in 2017 compared to more than 1,600 in 2016. That indicates a continuation in the annual decline in the number of dogs being euthanised, which is down from a high of more than 21,000 in 2002. There is positivity in the area, notwithstanding the issues that have arisen.

At the end of December 2016, 248 dog breeders were registered with the local authorities and 275 inspections of dog breeding establishments took place. The total number of dog breeding establishments on the register with local authorities at the end of December 2017 was 258.

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