More powers needed to beat illegal puppy farming trade

At the monthly council meeting a Green Party motion on a range of measures received cross party support.

One element calls for councils to have the power to raise breeder licence fees and create a central database of licenced breeders across all councils, with unique identifiers assigned to each breeder.

Green Councillor Anthony Flynn forwarded the motion. He told the chamber: “Our animal welfare staff do a tremendous job in this city.

“They follow up on information coming from Operation Delphin, which includes working with HMRC and others to intercept pups at the ports, they bring successful prosecutions under the animal welfare act, and I do applaud them for that.

“However I do feel budgets are stretched, and this council needs more in order to tackle what is an extremely lucrative industry for criminals who will always try any and all avenues to try to avoid statutory bodies.”

He added: “Licence fees for breeding establishments, which are administered by local councils, are held in the Welfare of Animals Dog Breeding Establishments regulations, and the fees vary by the number of bitches kept.

“They range from £150 for 10 or less breeding bitches, and up to £350 for 200 bitches, with an additional £50 for every 100 bitches thereafter.

“In NI there are just 45 licenced breeders, or puppy farmers, who in turn have a total of 1,700 breeding bitches which are licenced.

“This averages at 40 per registered breeder, however we know that some of the individual breeders have from 100 up to a staggering 600 plus breeding bitches in their establishments.

“600 breeding bitches for one registered keeper would amount to a licence fee of only £550 per year. Each breeding bitch is allowed up to three litters every three years and a total of six in a lifetime. On the revenue streams of those breeders, I will leave you to do the maths.

“Those fees are ridiculously low for the job that is required on monitoring these establishments, and the Minister needs to either review these fees, or give councils the power to amend the fees themselves, as well as additional powers over enforcement, particularly around monitoring.”

He said: “Today I took a cursory glance around some of the online sites that breeders often use. You type in ‘Belfast’, ‘dogs and puppies’, and you will be inundated with German Shepherd pups for sale at up to £700 each, Toy Poodle pups for sale at £1,200 each, or French Bulldog pups for sale up to £1,200 each.

“These are all sellers based in Belfast, and furthermore, according to our own council stats, Belfast City Council has no registered dog breeders in our council area. However Belfast is specifically stated as being a place where illegal breeding has been reported to the USPCA.”

He said: “Dogs are for life, not just for Christmas. If you are going to get a pup, go to a local adoption centre, as there are many throughout Northern Ireland, with thousands of pups that deserve a loving home.”

The motion agreed by the chamber states: “This council notes the USPCA ‘Puppy Dog Fortunes’ report recognising, with concern, the scale and seriousness of the illegal puppy trade and the abhorrent neglect, cruelty and suffering caused to animals.

“It reaffirms its support for Lucy’s Law and supports the ‘Justice for Reggie’ Campaign. Accordingly, the council resolves to write to the Minister of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in the Republic of Ireland to express its concerns.” 

The council calls on both jurisdictions to introduce Lucy’s Law, a law which began last year in England, meaning members of the public can only buy from registered breeders.