This is horrific.

The Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) are urging people looking to buy a new dog to be vigilant about who they are buying from. According to the DSPCA there are an increasing amount of ‘mass produced’ dogs with serious health and genetic problems being smuggled into the UK from Ireland.

(Image screenshot from The Irish Times)

The reason for the proliferation of battery farmed dogs in Ireland is purely monetary. Last year alone an estimated 30,000 puppies with a value between €15 and €20 million were smuggled out of Ireland. DSPCA Spokeswoman Gillian Bird spoke to The Irish Times about the problem

“People aren’t fussy about the parentage of these puppies so you’ve got genetic problems, health problems and dogs, who in some situations, have never seen the light of day or have never interacted with humans.”

There have been a number of seizures in the past few weeks. The most recent took place on Wednesday when 14 puppies were found in a truck at Dublin Port. These puppies, who were only six weeks old, were cramped into two metal containers without access to food, water, or even fresh air. The estimated value of these puppies was said to be €17,000.

(Image screenshot from The Irish Times)

The smuggling of these young pups into the UK is not only morally wrong, it is also highly illegal. The Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 clearly states that anyone who has six or more female dogs which are capable of breeding must apply to register as a dog breeding establishment. On top of this, as the Irish Times point out, all dogs must be microchipped on a registered database before leaving their place of birth. The DSPCA recommend that puppies should not be taken away from their mothers until they are at least nine weeks old, and they must be at least 15 weeks old before they travel to the UK. The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals  (ISPCA) are urging people to adopt rescue dogs instead of buying new ones.