Dogs Trust urgently calls on government to appoint Junior Minister for Animal Welfare

Dogs Trust says it is calling on the Irish government to give dogs the ‘Greatest Gift’ this Christmas and appoint a Junior Minister with responsibility for dog welfare and control.

The charity has drawn attention to their Christmas wish on behalf of dogs with a giant gift outside Leinster House, complete with a gift tag saying: ‘To all dogs, from the government’. Dogs Trust has launched a petition and is urging the dog-loving public to sign it and support their campaign, which aims to encourage the government.

The call for a devoted champion for dogs is supported by a recent study by the charity of over 24,000 dog owners and enthusiasts – Ireland’s Dog Census – which revealed that 88% believe that a dedicated Junior Minister would provide a more coordinated response to dog welfare issues in Ireland.

Currently, policy and legislation for the welfare, breeding, selling and supplying, control and traceability of dogs falls between multiple government departments.

Without one person having sole responsibility for all areas of dog welfare, including enforcing and resourcing legislation, our canine companions can sadly fall through the cracks.

Ireland is in the midst of what can only be described as a canine crisis with Dogs Trust receiving more than 2800 calls and emails from people wanting to give up their dog so far this year.

Behaviour issues are one of the top reasons for relinquishment and can stem from poor breeding practices, irresponsible dog ownership and a myriad of issues that require a holistic view to solve.

The urgent need for someone to champion dog welfare in government and tackle issues like breeding and behaviour is highlighted by stories like Dora’s.

Dora, a one-year-old Bichon Frise, arrived at Dogs Trust heavily pregnant, traumatised and terrified of people after being rescued from a puppy farm.

It took the charity’s Canine Carers hours of hard work for her to allow them anywhere near her, and it was days before they could touch her.

Dora gave birth to six puppies at the Dogs Trust rehoming centre but sadly only three survived.

Some of the puppies were born with what a member of staff described as the “worst deformities” she’d ever seen in a litter.

It’s likely their terrible breeding circumstances played a role.

Luckily her puppies that survived were soon adopted, including Peaches who featured in the charity’s photo opportunity, and are now thriving in their forever homes.

And following months of careful rehabilitation by her carers, Dora has found a loving new family and home too.

Suzie Carley, Executive Director of Dogs Trust Ireland, commented: “It breaks our hearts to think of what vulnerable dogs like Dora and her puppies have been through but sadly they are not alone.

“We hear stories daily of dogs who are bred with no thought to their welfare and are struggling with behaviour issues because of a myriad of complex reasons.

“Currently there is no single person with full responsibility for dog welfare and control.

“With a new government due to form there is a real opportunity for transformational change.

“We are urging the new government to create this role to help bring together key policy areas that impact dog breeding, welfare, control and responsible ownership, which are currently across multiple departments.

It would be the ‘greatest gift’ to dogs this Christmas.

“We encourage dog lovers in Ireland to sign our petition for a Junior Minister – someone at the heart of government whose job it is to care for dogs as much as you do.”

The request for a Junior Minister of Animal Welfare and Control is one of five key areas of focus that Dogs Trust has for the newly formed government.

The Junior Minister will drive forward the implementation of five new policy measures detailed in the charity’s Pawlitical Manifesto to bring about a step-change in dog welfare and control:

• End cruel breeding practices. Anyone breeding, selling, or transferring the ownership of a puppy or litter of puppies should be registered and licensed. We want to see an urgent review of the Dog Breeding Establishment Act 2010, including the 2018 guidelines, and for the legislation to be properly enforced and resourced so that negligent and abusive breeders can be held accountable.
• Enable full traceability of dogs – Full traceability will mean we can put the right safeguards in place to future-proof the welfare of every dog in this country, and ultimately create a safer society for dogs, their owners and the public. To achieve this, we need to change how we currently capture data on all dogs in this country. A brand new government-held database needs to be created, with information on every touchpoint in a dog’s life – for example, their parentage, breeder, microchipping, licensing and details of dog-related incidents.
• Improve dog control and public safety – we believe addressing the root causes of dog aggression, whatever the breed, will be the most effective long-term strategy. The charity is also championing better education and support for responsible dog owners including regulation of the training and behaviour sector.
• Enable more dogs to remain with their family in rented homes. Encourage landlords and letting agencies to accept dogs so that more dogs can remain with their family, reducing surrenders to pounds and rescues, and abandonment of dogs across the country.

Dogs Trust says it is asking dog lovers across the country to sign their petition via Dogstrust.ie/greatestgift and call on the government to appoint someone who cares about dogs as much as they do.