Animal welfare charities are to be given €100,000 to assist them in microchipping dogs. Charities with a proven track record in animal care will be able to apply for funding from the Department of Agriculture, Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney announced on Friday.
Under new regulations all pups born from this month on must be microchipped by the age of 12 weeks. From September all pups offered for sale must be identifiable by microchip; and from next March every dog in the country must be microchipped.
Addressing a conference on animal welfare held in Farmleigh in Dublin’s Phoenix Park, Mr Coveney said a joint-inspection regime for “puppy farms” between his department and local authorities’ veterinary services had begun in recent weeks. More than half of registered establishments have been inspected and visits to others are ongoing.
Mr Coveney said there were charitable organisations such as Dogs Trust, DSPCA and ISPCA and many others involved in the rescue and rehoming of dogs were suitable points of contact for those looking for a dog.
He warned against buying dogs from unknown individuals and dogs of unknown provenance as these were less likely to have been bred in a welfare-satisfactory environment.
“Responsible breeders will be happy to show you the dogs in their home environment and can provide suitable supporting documentation in relation to the dog’s health, vaccination status, microchip number and registration,” he said.
He also referred to the recently introduced Irish Pet Advertising Advisory Group's minimum standards criteria for online advertising websites.
“I am encouraged by the fact that animal-welfare groups have worked together with the veterinary profession and with online retailers to develop guidelines for the advertising of animals online that will help ensure the welfare of animals being sold is protected,” he said.
Referring to the promotion of good care and welfare for horses in urban environments, Mr Coveney said €1 million had already been allocated to support the development of facilities for the urban horse population and to address the issues of care and welfare.
