Having listened to the stories of Deputies Gould, Donnelly and Ward and their dogs I am reminded of the phrase, if you want a friend in politics, get a dog. Ireland is in the midst of a dog welfare crisis. That is not a phrase that I use lightly. Today, more than 3,000 dogs are in pounds and rescue centres across the country. Every week we hear of rescue centres overwhelmed, a foster network stretched to its limit, and of families heartbroken after discovering the hidden cruelty behind their family puppy due to an industry that has gone unchecked for far too long. The facts speak for themselves. In 2022, more than 7,300 dogs entered Irish pounds, a staggering 77% increase from 2021. Despite the tireless work of staff and volunteers, 340 dogs were euthanised. It could have been prevented from ever reaching this point if our laws were fit for purpose. The shameful truth is that, as has been said, Ireland has become the puppy-farm capital of Europe. Up to 30,000 dogs are exported each year into illegal markets abroad. When we include unregistered backyard breeding, that figure may rise to 100,000 puppies bred in conditions that range from inadequate to outright cruel. I very much welcome Deputy Whitmore's Bill, which shines a light on what has effectively become a profit-driven model of exploitation rooted in animal cruelty. We are talking about an industry worth over €200 million, one that, in some of its worst forms, is built on practices of cruelty that border on outright criminality. Yet, it is our animal welfare charities, operating on shoestring budgets, that are left to pick up the pieces. They are the ones dealing with the endless stream of neglected, sick and traumatised dogs. Countless animals are suffering the consequences of poor and irresponsible breeding, and far too many are being euthanised as a result. In some of the large-scale breeding operations, there can be as many as 300 pregnant mothers at any one time. Females can be bred from as young as six months old and are forced to give birth again and again, with little regard for their health or well-being. The puppies themselves often come into the world deformed, sick, or burdened with long-term physical and behavioural issues. A puppy should be cared for, nurtured and held during the first crucial 12 weeks of life, not treated as a commodity to be produced for profit. This simply cannot continue. We need stronger oversight, higher standards and meaningful enforcement. I welcome the opportunity for us to debate the Bill today. I hope it proceeds to Committee Stage. I was not present for the earlier part of the debate but I note the ministerial amendment. It is time for the Bill to move to Committee Stage. We do not need to wait for a year down the line. As a result of weak regulation, harmful practices have been allowed to flourish. Under the current system puppies can be bred from females as young as four months old. Female dogs can be repeatedly bred, with almost no restrictions. Oversight is inconsistent, and enforcement is patchy at best. Backyard breeders continue to operate with virtually no accountability. Local authorities do their best with the resources they have, but they cannot enforce what is, in reality, an unenforceable system. There is no dedicated Garda unit for animal cruelty. Many cases only come to light when neighbours, for instance, become concerned, meaning countless animals suffer unseen, behind closed doors. Animal sanctuaries are at breaking point as unprecedented numbers of puppies, kittens and horses are abandoned and soaring costs and falling donations leave those charities struggling to cope. This situation is not sustainable. It is not humane, and it is not who we claim to be as a nation that values compassion, responsibility and community. This Bill should have a face and a name. At this point I would like to talk about a small pup that I have spoken about before in this Chamber. It is a pup called Stout from my constituency of Wexford, who has reached thousands of people because of an online campaign. Stout suffered from severe health difficulties caused by malnutrition, poor breeding practices and the appalling, unsanitary conditions in which he was kept. Despite every effort by the Wexford SPCA, Stout lost his life last August. However, because two people, Tara O'Connor and Kevin Keegan, refused to let Stout's suffering be in vain, his legacy lives on. They have led a compassionate and determined campaign, rallying animal lovers across the county, the country and beyond, and called for legislation that holds breeders accountable and centres animal welfare in every aspect of dog breeding. They have a campaign called Stout's law, which proposes that we finally recognise dogs not merely as personal property, but as living beings with intrinsic needs, with the right to comfort, proper care, and the ability to express normal behaviour. Deputy Whitmore's Bill offers a strong, structured and humane solution. I welcome this Bill in the Dáil today. My colleague, Deputy O'Donoghue, our spokesperson on agriculture, which animal welfare falls under, has also begun to process a Bill after hearing about Stout's law. He recommends a cap of 30 breeding females per site; minimum and maximum breeding ages; a limit of one litter per year and four in a lifetime; a staff-to-animal ratio of 10:1; a ban on surgical artificial insemination; and updated fees to reflect higher welfare standards. Additionally, the Bill includes criminal penalties for breaches - fines up to €250,000 and imprisonment of up to five years for serious offences. These are not unreasonable demands. They are the minimum standards required for ethical breeding. We are calling for Stout's law to be incorporated into Deputy Whitmore's Bill. This would strengthen the legislation by establishing stricter limits on age and the duration and conditions of breeding; limiting lifetime litters; creating an independent regulator with real enforcement powers; supporting local authorities in oversight; outlawing backyard puppy farms once and for all; and ensuring transparency and accountability at every step. Stout's law would ensure that welfare is not an afterthought but the foundation. It would ensure breeders have a legal, moral and enforceable duty to provide freedom from discomfort, distress and neglect, and freedom to behave as dogs are meant to behave. Rescue centres should not be forced to pick up the pieces of an industry that profits from suffering. They should not be dealing with litters born with degenerative conditions, malnourished mothers or traumatised animals that have known nothing but stress and confinement. We have a serious animal welfare problem in Ireland and we have a responsibility - morally, socially and legislatively - to confront it. By supporting this Bill and incorporating Stout's law within it, we can send a clear message: that Ireland no longer tolerates cruelty behind closed doors; that compassion must outweigh profit; and that the welfare of animals is a reflection on the values we hold as a society. Stout did not survive but his legacy can ensure that thousands of other dogs do. It is time now to reform our laws, to strengthen enforcement, to protect vulnerable animals and give Ireland a dog-breeding system we can be proud of. I urge everybody in this Chamber to support the Dog Welfare (Amendment) Bill 2025 and formally incorporate Stout’s law into this legislation for Stout and for the countless dogs suffering and that will continue to suffer if we do not act upon this now. Before I close, I want to highlight one more emerging concern. I spoke recently with the DSPCA about the worrying rise in kitten farming and the growing demand for fashionable breeds fuelled by viral trends on social media in creating large profit-driven breeding operations where appearance is prioritised over animal welfare. I have seen this myself on countless occasions on social media. Kitten farming may be less widely recognised than puppy farming but the suffering it causes is every bit as real. We must also get ahead of this issue before it becomes another real problem. I earnestly request everyone to support Deputy Whitmore’s Bill.

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