COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, April 14, 2025

QUESTION NO. 29

QUESTION: Councillor F. Timmons

To ask the Chief Executive what effective remedies has South Dublin County Council done to find, shut down, and counteract illegal puppy farms in the SDCC area in the past two years? What were the outcomes of these efforts?

REPLY:

In accordance with Section 9 of the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010, the operator of a Dog Breeding Establishment (DBE) must apply to the local authority responsible for the area in which it is situated for registration as a Dog Breeding Establishment.

A DBE is defined in the Act as follows:

"a premises at which bitches are kept, not less than 6 of which are-

(a) more than 6-month-old, and

(b) capable of being used for breeding purposes, .."

There are no registered DBE’s in the South Dublin Administrative Area. Establishments with fewer than 6 bitches meeting the criteria at (a) and (b) above are not required to be registered under the Act.

Commercial Boarding Kennels must also apply for registration under the Act. Commercial Boarding Kennels are defined in the Act: "…a premises (other than an animal shelter) where dogs, not owned by the occupier of the premises, are temporarily sheltered, fed and watered in consideration of the payment of a fee"

As required by the Act details of Commercial Boarding Kennels registered by South Dublin County Council are entered on the register of DBE’s maintained in accordance with Section 9 of the Act. The Register is available to view here and on the Council's website.

While SDCC is not directly responsible for the regulation of puppy farms, we do play an active role in supporting efforts to tackle this issue. We regularly provide assistance to An Garda Síochána (AGS) and the DSPCA, collaborating with them to ensure the welfare of animals and address any concerns related to puppy farms in our area. Our commitment to working alongside these organizations reflects our dedication to animal welfare and to ensuring that any concerns are promptly addressed.

Our actions have contributed to increased awareness of the issue and have supported ongoing efforts to monitor and tackle this activity. We remain committed to continuing to monitor and investigate this activity and as always the Council appreciate any information you may have on illegal DBE’s and would encourage all members of the public to share any relevant knowledge with our Enforcement and Licensing section by phone 01 4149213 or email enflic@sdublincoco.ie / dwarden@sdublincoco.ie

South Dublin County Council actively work to raise awareness with dog owners and potential dog owners in relation to the advertising of dogs and other animals for sale on social media platforms.

We regularly advertise information provided by the Department to help raise awareness and to encourage potential new owners to be vigilant. This information can be found here gov.ie - Responsible Dog Ownership

We continue to monitor this issue closely and are committed to supporting efforts that protect the well-being of animals through regular contact with the DSPCA on animal welfare issues.