Why Ireland needs Dog Advocacy
As Gandhi once said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”.
Responsibility for dog welfare sits across three Government departments, resulting in inefficiency and negligence to animal welfare policy.
The only dog population survey in Ireland was commissioned by a pet food brand, conducted by the reputable IPSOS survey organisation. It reveals that 49% of Irish households own a dog.
This means that there are over one million pet dogs in Ireland. DAI wants government to shape up and add pet ownership to the Census.
Worryingly the Dept. of Rural and Community Development has disregarded this survey claiming it as 60% inaccurate. According to them there are only 200,000 dogs in Ireland: only 20% of the actual population figure!
DAI wants to see a coordinated approach to the integration of mandatory dog licenses and micro-chipping.
Over 9,000 dogs have entered Irish State Pounds every year for the past 20-years. The Department of Environment Statistics shows 778 dogs a year or 15 dogs per week were euthanized in the State’s 31 dog pounds.
The recent surge of dog ownership, buying and selling dogs online (which every animal welfare organisation concurs is utterly wrong) has been proliferated by Ireland – coined Europe’s ‘Puppy Farm’ capital.
This causes illegally smuggling underage, under socialised and sickly puppies in hideous conditions into the UK and beyond.
Contravening both the Animal Welfare Act and Control of Dogs Act, these dog breeding establishments are allowed to thrive being granting licenses by local authorities.
Shrouded in ‘under world’ activities, it is shocking that despite huge media coverage, including Journalist Sam Polling’s award-winning BBC Panorama documentary in 2016, which uncovered and identified the biggest ‘puppy farmer’ in Ireland, Cavan Co Council continues to issue a ‘dog breeding establishment’ license to this individual.