ANOTHER IRISH puppy farm was raided by officials from the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals last week. The charity has said it is investigating allegations of cruelty to dogs at up to 30 puppy farms around the country.

Last Friday morning the ISPCA seized 29 dogs and took another 22 breeding dogs into care at a puppy farm in the Laois-Offaly area. Many of the dogs had lost large portions of their hair because of lice and mange and were lying in kennels that were strewn with animal faeces and waste.

Last month gardaí and ISPCA inspectors removed 110 dachshunds from a puppy farm in North Tipperary because of poor conditions.

Arising from the publicity surrounding the incident, the ISPCA says it has been inundated with details of alleged abuse of animals and yesterday officials raided two locations in the Irish midlands.

It is understood the ISPCA were to remove West Highland terriers, white German Shepherds, Labradors, Springer Spaniels and a number of Collies from one of the locations.

All of the dogs will be brought initially to Belfast where the USPCA will provide them with kennelling while the investigation continues.

Ken McKie, Secretary of the anti-puppy farm Waterside Action Group based in Ayrshire, Scotland, where many puppies form Irish puppy farms end up was delighted with the news of the latest ISPCA raid.

Targeted

"This news has brought great heart to WAG and its members," Mr McKie told OUR DOGS. "For a long time we have been asked about the origins of the puppies and why was no one doing anything about it? At last we can say that they are being targeted by the ISPCA who have had so many obstacles to overcome in their fight to protect these puppies and the breeding stock. We must not only applaud this but also encourage more people to alert the authorities to what is happening.

"With our campaign in Scotland we are seeing moves to bring in strong legislation to control and end the suffering of the puppies when transported. But in Wales we have the Assembly allegedly handing out money to continue this horrendous and appalling abuse of dogs.

Effective

"It is now time for all those who have the best interests in dogs to challenge the UK Parliament to end the funding programmes to the premises throughout the nation and to develop effective, sustainable and enforceable legislation.

"We cannot wait on the EU to pursue this, as some politicians would ask. This is the EU that allows animals to be exported to and from other states from which the allegations of the most horrendous suffering to these animals. This is the same EU that would challenge a vast majority of breeds to be eradicated as they define their attributes as a health problem with the European Convention on Pets. This was also to tackle some of the hereditary diseases yet some member states, who have adopted this, actually have reports of some of the worst cases of hereditary disease in a number of identified breeds.

"Once again we would ask all our supporters, no matter where they are in the country to write, hound, harass, plague and inundate their elected representatives, remember we do vote for them. Make the politicians wake up. Legislation is the only effective way to end the suffering to dogs and we need this today!"

OVER 100 dachshund puppies rescued from a Tipperary puppy farm last month by officials of the USPCA, assisted by Garda officers are facing a brighter future after hundreds of offers to rehome them have flooded in to the USPCA.

The charity has received some 500 written offers to re-home 109 dachshunds recently seized from the puppy farm in the Republic.

The USPCA was forced last week asked for postal requests, after more than 4,000 phone calls had swamped its animal welfare helpline.

Stephen Philpott, USPCA chief executive, said: "We hope to be re-homing from the end of this week.

"The dogs are being re-homed as companion pets, not for breeding, hunting or showing. Our welfare officers will be in touch with people who have applied.

"We will be expecting people re-homing the dogs to make a donation to help cover our costs in transporting and caring for them."

Inquiries have come from as far away as Paris. The dachshunds were rescued last month from a Tipperary breeding farm where they were being kept in appalling conditions.

The USPCA was involved in the raid, with other organisations in the Republic. Garda officers, who also took part, said a file would be prepared with a view to possible prosecution.

Bedding

The seized animals included several pregnant bitches as well as a large number of pups. They were moved to the USPCA’s Benvardin Animal Centre because it had the accommodation and facilities to cope with the large numbers. Over the weekend after the news broke, many people called at the centre with blankets and towels and items of clothing suitable for use as bedding for the dogs.

"There has been a big improvement in the condition of the dachshunds since their arrival, but they are still under quarantine," Louise Neill, manager of the centre, said.

The dachshunds are to be neutered and spayed before they are re-homed.