I thank Deputy Whitmore for bringing this legislation forward. I heard her on the radio this morning. You could hear that she is coming from a really good place on this and the passion she has for it. It really comes across and the Deputy is pushing an open door with this legislation when it comes to me. We need regulation. In any industry, when there is no regulation, it can lead to a wild west situation where anything goes. This is particularly worrying when it comes to animal welfare. The legislation around current dog breeding practices is being abused. For example, as was mentioned, there is no cap on the number of breeding bitches that a breeding establishment can have. I really do not like using the term "bitch", so I will call them "mother dogs". For example, as the Deputy said this morning, you could have up to 300 mother dogs on one puppy farm. We have heard reports of how the mother dogs are being kept in cages. We have heard how they are being fed by automatic feeders. They are lying in their own excrement and they are not getting any socialisation whatsoever. Breeding practices within these puppy farms frequently lead to serious health issues for the puppies. These practices can lead to genetic disorders and infectious diseases and the lack of human interaction can result in significant behavioural issues. These inhumane conditions not only cause immense suffering for the dogs but also contribute to the broader issues of overpopulation and the abandonment of unhealthy or unmanageable dogs. More often than not, it is dog rescue organisations that have to pick up the pieces. New owners of puppy-farmed puppies and dogs can have a hard time when they bring their dog home, with illness or unwanted behaviours. It can lead to additional costs for the owner and also additional expenses in regard to veterinary care and the emotional turmoil of seeing a dog and puppy in distress and being unwell. Nobody wants to see this. Nobody wants to see an owner having to give up their dog. My partner has a beautiful whippet called Padmé. I will give her a second name like Deputy Byrne did. We will call her Padmé Murphy. She is a rescue dog - a beautiful dog who had a really difficult start in life. She is boisterous and energetic. She is full of energy and an absolutely beautiful character. She brings so much joy into our lives and as was mentioned before, the welcome you get from a dog when you walk in the door is second to none. I would love to see my children copy the dog and give the same welcome I get from Padmé when I come in. I would never stand up here and call Padmé a "bitch". My life would not be worth living. In fact, I just about get away with not calling her a baby. I hope I will get a few brownie points for bring her up here today as well. There are so many other dogs out there that do not get the same chance in life that Padmé has had, in being brought into a loving home. Despite some issues at the start of her life, she has a loving, warm home where is part of the family. It is horrific to think that there are businesses and puppy farms out there that are making huge amounts of profits on the back of overbreeding puppies and dogs. We need to put regulations in place to make sure this does not continue. I know the Minister of State mentioned kicking it down the road.

Sentiment score: 0.09

I have brought forward at least two pieces of legislation here this year and there have been timebound amendments to them, so we need to have a bit of urgency on this as well.

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