Minister Madigan welcomes funding awarded to DSPCA

FUNDING of €485,000 has been awarded to the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) in Rathfarnham, Minister Josepha Madigan has confirmed.

Minister Madigan said her colleague, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, had revealed that funding payments will be made with immediate effect.

“This year’s allocation to organisations throughout the country is the largest ever,” Minister Madigan said.

“This funding will contribute to the protection of surrendered, abandoned and at-risk animals. The DSPCA does great work locally and I am thrilled to see this recognised and funding made available to help this excellent work to continue.

“The staff and volunteers who work in the DSPCA do outstanding work and I would like to take this opportunity to recognise their contribution.”

Minister Josepha Madigan added: “Fine Gael in Government have looked to strengthen and improve animal welfare legislation in recent years.

“The reform of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, which replaced legislation going back over 100 years, was a particular milestone in providing a modern-day legislative basis to support animal welfare policies and objectives.

“This legislation enshrined the Five Freedoms concept and introduced mandatory standards to provide for positive welfare for animals.

“I am delighted that my colleague Minister Creed will also introduce new legislation on the sale and supply of pet animals, and is publishing a voluntary Code of Practice for Sellers and Suppliers of Pets.”

The new legislation will require anyone selling or supplying more than five pet animals in a given year to register with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

All advertisements of pet animals must also include certain minimum information about the pet and the seller or supplier, including in respect of dogs, its microchip number.

“The code contains guidelines on animal welfare and also addresses public health concerns, for example the need for good hygiene when handling animals, and the potential risk to the health of children associated with contact with reptiles,” Minister Madigan revealed.

Speaking about the legislation Minister Creed added: “The introduction of this legislation is the culmination of a public consultation to get the public’s views on the sale and supply of pet animals.

“I was very pleased with the response, which included views of animal welfare charities and the industry.

“The new legislation covers the online advertising of pets for sale or supply, and introduces more traceability especially where dogs are concerned, by requiring advertisement for those pets to include the microchip number of the animal.”

The minister added: “These new measures will contribute to my department’s work in ensuring high standards of the welfare of pet animals across the country are maintained.”