Many well-meaning dog owners accidentally support puppy farming because of common misconceptions.
Here are some of the most common myths.
Registration or licensing does not guarantee high welfare standards.
Under Irish law, Dog Breeding Establishments must register once they keep six or more breeding female dogs. Some of these facilities have hundreds of dogs. While having a smaller number of dogs does not guarantee the dogs have higher welfare standards, having a large number of dogs is surely an indication of them being bred solely for profit?
Please note that only female dogs are counted under the legislation, puppies or male dogs are not, so a Dog Breeding Establishment will often have a lot more dogs on-site than you are aware of.
Even where premises are licensed, buyers should still:
Seeing the puppy briefly does not necessarily show how they were raised.
You should:
A quick handover meeting does not provide this information.
Many puppies from low welfare breeding facilities appear healthy when first sold.
However, problems may emerge later, including:
Responsible breeding focuses on the long-term health and welfare of both puppies and parent dogs.
Online marketplaces can make it difficult to verify where a puppy was bred.
Advertisements may look convincing even when the puppy was bred in poor conditions.
Always take time to:
Every purchase contributes to demand.
Choosing not to buy from suspicious sources reduces the financial incentive for large-scale breeding operations and helps protect animal welfare.
