Green Party councillor, Deirdre de Burca has vowed to lobby her Green Party colleague and Minister for the Environment, John Gormley to introduce greatly strengthened Animal Welfare legislation following the discovery of a “puppy farm hell” in South Wicklow.

More than 80 animals were discovered living in appalling conditions on a puppy farm in the south of the county following a raid by the Wicklow SPCA.

“Many of these animals were living in their own excrement in conditions that could only be described as ‘absolutely appalling’” says de Burca. “The dogs were being held in farm outbuildings, some in dark wooden crates, barrels and even abandoned cars. Sixteen of the dogs had to be put down after being taken to Dublin. Many of the other animals found at the farm, including cats and chickens, were suffering from a range of health problems including flea infestations, mange, cataracts, ear mites, overgrown nails mammary tumours and problems with their teeth”.

The Green Party councillor says that there are hundreds of puppy farms around the country whose only purpose is to provide bitches to continuously produce pups for sale.

“This awful episode of dogs bred in these dreadful conditions just for profit highlights the very immediate need for proper animal welfare legislation” says de Burca. “I will lobby my colleague, Green Party Minister for the Environment, John Gormley to draft this legislation as soon as possible. We will have to ensure that the penalties for abusing animals in this way are so serious that those who do so will be strongly discouraged”.