Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State but I am disappointed that the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, is not here to take this Commencement matter, particularly given that her constituency contains many dog breeding establishments. I look forward to hearing the official response because for too long, Ireland has had the unfortunate title of being the puppy farm capital of Europe.Government after Government has failed to get to grips with the situation and the dog-breeding establishment, DBE, guidelines are just that - guidelines. Even if they were followed to the letter, which they are not, it would be perfectly reasonable in the eyes of this Government that a DBE keep hundreds of breeding bitches and have one staff member looking after 25 breeding bitches and all of their pups.

The use of automation, the industrial nature of puppy farms and the lack of human interaction are resulting in poorly-socialised dogs with a range of behavioural issues. The fallout from this is becoming very clear in recent months as pounds are dealing with the Covid-regret puppies. During the lockdowns, many people rushed into buying a puppy for the family without fully understanding the commitment that a dog is. Puppy farms subsequently ramped up supply and churned out puppies to meet the insatiable demand. They gave no thought to the misery they were inflicting on the breeding mothers or the welfare of the resulting pups.

Unfortunately, the chickens are now coming home to roost. Some people are returning to work unable to look after the poor dogs, and others are dealing with young dogs that are manifesting a wide range of behavioural issues, many of which are due to the fact that they were born on these puppy farms. PetBond vet, Dr. Tim Kirby, has rightly called such farms a chain of misery and said that mothers are stressed, overbred and pass on their fear and anxiety to their young.

Dogs Trust has seen a considerable increase in the number of dogs being surrendered and an overwhelming list from local authority pounds seeking shelter space with it. In addition to the Covid-regret pups, those dealing in the sale of dogs are now faced with pups they cannot sell and an oversupply of breeding bitches. Dogs Trust has had 54 pups in the past three weeks alone, 15 of which were crossbreeds taken in from the local pound with no mother to be found.

To compound matters, the housing and cost-of-living crisis is impacting on the number of dogs being surrendered and abandoned. Families with notices to quit or whose landlords will not allow pets are now having to surrender their much-loved pets, which is devastating and denies children the joy and life skills that pet ownership brings, which includes empathy.

When I visited the new Dublin county pound, I was told that up to 30% of surrenders are now down to housing issues and an increasing number of dogs are being abandoned or surrendered because they are old and have health issues. Poor Lenny, a Shih Tzu, was left in a crate under a bridge recently. Sam, an old cairn terrier, was found wandering along a busy road blind and covered in mange. Maggie, the lurcher from Carlow-Kilkenny pound, was dehydrated and had acid burns, an untreated broken toe and a large growth on her hind leg. There is no excuse for any of this and those responsible should be held accountable. However, all of the shelters and pounds are saying the exact same thing: the phone will not stop ringing. There is a tsunami of unwanted dogs.

What work is happening in the Department of Rural and Community Development to ensure that the local authority dog pounds are equipped for this situation? What does the Minister plan to do in the long term to end the scourge of puppy farms and industrial dog breeding? Cavan-Monaghan is home to some of the largest DBEs but the Minister of State's constituency of Wexford also has a large number of them.