Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, Senator Hackett. Today, Dogs Trust launched its Sold a Pup campaign, calling for the stringent enforcement of the law on the sale, supply and advertising of pets. It seems that every year as we approach Christmas, it has to fall to charities and welfare organisations to once again remind people to reconsider giving a dog as a Christmas present. While Christmas is the time that there is a stronger focus on the online sale of pets, that is not to say that the problem does not exist for the rest of the year. The illegal sale of dogs online continues all year around.

On 1 February 2020, the much-anticipated legislation came into force with the sale or supply of pets regulations. This legislation promised to improve transparency and traceability of sellers and breeders. It was hoped that these regulations would give puppy farmers nowhere to hide and that there would be greater transparency about licensed dog breeding establishments to assist those looking to purchase a dog. However, it seems that while the legislation is in place, there is little to no enforcement of it. Instead, the burden is placed on the buyer to try to buy responsibly. The sale of dogs is a highly profitable business and puppy farms and unscrupulous sellers go to enormous lengths to mislead the public. Moreover, the Covid-19 lockdown has made it much easier for them to conceal the origin of the dogs.

Research by Dogs Trust found that 68% of people were unable to spot an illegal advertisement and 72% were unaware of the legal requirements brought into force on 1 February.These regulations set out very clearly the requirements for the online sale of dogs.

The advert must include the registration number of the seller-supplier, the age of the animal and that it is no less than eight weeks old. It must also include the unique microchip of the dog and if the dog has come from a dog breeding establishment. The registration number as issued by the local authority must also be included.

These requirements are being flouted daily. On one sample day, there were 62 adverts on one online platform and only one of those adverts was in compliance. Dog welfare charities and activists are doing the job of the Department by monitoring the online sites for breaches. They have found sellers with multiple phone numbers and profiles across multiple platforms and jurisdictions. One piece of research found that from 4,776 seller profiles online, only 55 were listed as traders. One phone number alone was linked to 15 separate adverts during a three month period. The misuse of microchip numbers and false breeding licence numbers is also taking place regularly.

Does the Minister of State recognise the importance of this legislation in the fight against deplorable practices in the over-breeding of dogs in puppy farms? We know traceability is key and the lack of enforcement of the regulations ensures that non-compliance puppy farmers have a ready made accessible channel to sell to unsuspecting customers.

What efforts have been made by the Department to raise awareness of the new rules that came into effect? How many sellers have registered with the Department since their introduction? Has the Department engaged with the online platforms to ensure compliance? What resources has the Department dedicated to the enforcement of the rules? Could the Minister of State outline if any infringement procedures have taken place since their introduction?