Oireachtas report says there should be a ban on owning dogs with cropped ears

The State should impose a ban on owning dogs with cropped ears because of the pain and suffering it causes to the animal, the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture has recommended. The proposed ban is one of several far-reaching recommendations the all-party committee has made in a new report on dog welfare in Ireland.

It also recommends regulating canine fertility services to prevent them being carried out by untrained people and to prosecute illegal operations.

It also recommends a prohibition on surgical artificial insemination of dogs because of the risks involved to the animals.

It has also laid out a series of recommendations on dog-breeding establishments to ensure there is a standard approach across the country and to ensure so-called “puppy farms” are not operating in the State. During the hearings it was disclosed that some dog-breeding establishments have as many as 500 breeding bitches on their premises.

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The report of the committee, chaired by Tipperary TD Jackie Cahill (Fianna Fáil), is based on six days of hearings between June 2021 and May 2022, involving government departments, the DSPCA, the ISPCA, Dogs Trust, PetBond, Fido, and the Veterinary Council of Ireland.

The committee report, published on Thursday, calls for an overhaul of legislation relating to dog ownership, welfare and breeding, including outright bans on certain practices.

Ear cropping is a surgery which involves the removal of most of the flaps portion of the ear. It is used on breeds including Dobermans, Great Danes, Boxers, Schnauzers and others.

The report states: “The committee is concerned that there are untrained people carrying out illegal procedures of ear cropping on dogs to meet market demand for a certain cosmetic aesthetic of a dog breed. Currently it is difficult to prosecute those who have performed this procedure unless they’re caught in the act. There may be a lack of general public awareness of the emotional and physical pain that occurs to a dog during, and as a result of, this procedure. The committee recommends that there is a ban on owning dogs with cropped ears.”

It continues that it recognises that such a ban would require a period of amnesty coupled with an information campaign by the Department of Agriculture.

In addition to a complete ban on surgical artificial insemination it calls for standardisation of the quality of information inputted into the microchips inserted in dogs. It recommends it should include date of birth: breed; colour; markings; gender and owner contact details.

It suggests that the fact there are four separate microchip databases might not be the best system for ensuring that owners are reunified with their lost dogs. Recommending one centralised online portal it also adds: “Moving to a vet-verified system of microchipping should be examined.”

The committee has also found that the dog licence system is an “inadequate means” to prove ownership of dogs. It also welcomes the development of technology that verifies advertisements to sell dogs.

Another key recommendation is for a reconsideration of the current ratio of one full-time staff member to 25 breeding bitches in dog-breeding establishments, which it says is “impractical” as the reality is the number of dogs being cared for by a single staff member is much higher when puppies and sires are taken into account. It recommends a maximum of breeding bitches at any one establishment.

“The committee heard there are some dog-breeding establishments with upwards of 500 breeding bitches. This is a considerable number of dogs in one place without even including the number of other dogs on the premises such as puppies and sires.”

“From the series of hearings it became clear that key issues need to be addressed to improve the welfare of dogs in Ireland,” said Mr Cahill at the launch of the report.