Department of Agriculture is providing funding of €100,000 towards a new Dog Microchipping initiative the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney has announced.
In order to assist animal welfare charities with their Microchipping initiatives, Minister Coveney said “I am making €100,000 available in order to facilitate the micochipping of dogs. Charities with a proven track record in this work are eligible to apply for funding from my Department under this measure.”
Under the new regulations owners must ensure that:
- all pups born from June 2015 onwards must be microchipped by the age of 12 weeks.
- from September onwards all pups being offered for sale must be identified by way of microchip.
- from March 2016 onwards, all dogs in the country must be microchipped.
Commenting on this, the Minister said that “Under the regulations, owners must not just ensure their dog is microchipped, they must also ensure that they are registered with correct contact details on an Authorised Database.”
Minister Coveney said that applications from a number of Databases have been received and as they are authorised, they are being listed on the Department of Agriculture’s website.
Puppy farms – Joint Inspection Regime
Minister Coveney also announced that a joint inspection regime of Dog Breeding Establishments, (“puppy farms”) involving Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine veterinary inspectors and the veterinary services of the Local Authorities had commenced in recent weeks.
Over 50% of registered establishments have now been inspected and inspections are ongoing. The Department has also undertaken a number of inspections with the various NGO’s.
Sourcing of Pets
The Minister told delegates “When sourcing dogs, there are many charitable organisations such as Dogs Trust, DSPCA and ISPCA and many others who are involved in the rescue and re-homing of dogs, where you can acquire a pet suitable to your circumstances. In addition, there are many responsible breeders you can go to where you can be confident that the health and welfare of the animals have been well looked after.
These 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. You should avoid buying dogs from unknown individuals and of unknown provenance as these are less likely to have been bred in a welfare satisfactory environment’.
Irish Pet Advertising Advisory Group’s (IPAAG) Minimum Standards for Online Classified Advertising Websites.
Commenting on the on-line advertising of pets, Minister Coveney endorsed the recently introduced Irish Pet Advertising Advisory Group’s (IPAAG) minimum standards for online advertising websites.
He said he is 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.”