The DSPCA is urging animal lovers to “please adopt” instead of buying a dog from a puppy farm where they are often bred in “horrific conditions”.
On Newstalk Breakfast, DSCPA spokesperson Suzanne McGovern said Ireland has developed a reputation as the “number one puppy farming country in Europe”, something she argued should concern all who care about animal welfare.
“When we look at puppy farms, they’re kind of industrial scale commercial operations, which are purely breeding puppies for profit,” she explained.
“In those situations, you might have up to 300 breeding Mums; they will have multiple litters throughout their lifetime.
“They’re kept in horrific conditions, most of which are called whelping boxes; they never see daylight, they have little or no human interaction.
“That in itself causes extreme physical and mental distress for the dogs.”
A dog looking through the bars of a kennel. Picture by: Alamy.com.For those who are concerned about buying a dog from a puppy farm by accident, Ms McGovern said there are several red flags to look out for.
“They might have multiple breeds for sale,” she said.
“You’ll see the setups look pretty staged; they might look like it’s in a home environment or the pups might be around children or a lovely backdrop.
“If they prevent you from going to see the Mum and Dad of the puppies, that’s a serious red flag.
“If they don’t allow you to go to their premises or make excuses on the way for you not to visit the premises, that’s one.
“If they don’t ask you about your set up or your home environment, they don’t seem to care then about what type of home that the puppies are going to - [they’re] purely interested in profit.”
When you choose to become a pet owner, you must also choose to be responsible one. At the very least have a plan and prepare to love and care for them for the rest of their lives. It should be a well-considered decision with all of the family involved and in approval. pic.twitter.com/KsU73j6Cu7
— DSPCA (@DublinSPCA) August 25, 2025
Ms McGovern urged people to adopt a pet instead, noting that shelters have plenty of animals in need of a forever home.
“Please, please consider adopting from your local rescue,” she said.
“They all have puppies of all sorts of breeds; go there first and take your time.
“It’s a well considered choice that you need to make with all the family members - please don’t rush into it.”
Main image: A two month old puppy. Picture by: Sacramento Bee/ lezlie sterling /ZUMA Press.
