Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I agree with my colleague, Deputy Daly, that while dog theft may not be a significant issue in the mainstream, it is a big issue for the individuals directly affected by it. Dog theft is a particularly cruel and nasty crime because a pet is not just property, it is an integral part of a family. Harsh sentences should be handed down to anyone caught stealing dogs in order to deter others. Under current laws, pets are considered property. Their theft is treated the same way as mobile phone theft or items taken from people's gardens. We all know pets are much more than that. Pets are an integral part of families.

Introducing laws is one thing but implementing them is another. For example, since 1 February 2020, we have had in place regulations on the sale and supply of pets. Despite animal welfare organisations reporting hundreds of illegal adverts for the sale of dogs, the Government confirmed to my party colleague, Senator Boylan, that it is yet to take any infringement cases. Animal welfare organisations are using up valuable resources reporting adverts and chasing their tails in doing so. As soon as one illegal advert is taken down, another one pops up.

There is also poor enforcement of the microchipping laws that are already in place. If there was better enforcement, it would help to address the issue of dog theft and reunite lost or stolen pets with their families. There are laws in place. It would be much more productive if these were implemented. Resources need to be allocated to collate the data on dog breeders, sellers and microchip numbers in order to create a central, accessible database. The creation of such a database would not only tackle the illegal sale of animals online but would also make it much harder for unscrupulous dog breeders to avoid paying tax. It would also be a deterrent to dog theft. For example, in my area in west Dublin, if a dog is stolen and later abandoned, it is often taken to Ashton dog pound. When I was a member of South Dublin County Council, there were reports of the Dickensian-style conditions that abandoned dogs had to endure in that facility. The pound operates as the dog warden centre for the greater Dublin area and is used by all four local authorities. Last summer, gardaí were called in to investigate whether unauthorised veterinary drugs were used to sedate and euthanise dogs there. It is time all four local authorities in Dublin developed their own dog pounds to be managed by themselves or by one of the reputable animal welfare services.

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