A €500 fine for multiple counts of dog cruelty “sends the wrong message”, a Fine Gael TD has said.
Speaking after a recent case in Cork, where a man convicted of repeated animal cruelty offences was fined €500, Dublin Rathdown TD Maeve O’Connell said the penalty risked attracting “bad actors” to the dog breeding industry.
“This case is deeply upsetting,” she said.
“When the financial penalty for cruelty is so low, it sends the wrong message. It risks attracting bad actors into dog breeding who are motivated purely by profit, with no regard for animal welfare or safety.”
O’Connell referenced the current market value of German Shepherd puppies as an example of the mismatch between penalties and profit.
“To put that fine into context, German Shepherd puppies, like those involved in the case, are currently selling for up to €1,850 online, almost treble the fine imposed – their lives and wellbeing are worth so much more, in every sense,” she said.
She added that animal cruelty could have wider consequences beyond just the immediate harm caused to dogs.
“Poorly housed, overbred, and unsocialised dogs are not only at risk of serious health and behavioural issues, but can also pose a danger to the public,” she said.
O’Connell noted that responsibility for animal welfare recently transferred to Minister Martin Heydon as of June 1st.
“I know Minister Heydon is committed to action in this space,” she said.
“But we must ensure that sanctions are effective, proportionate, and dissuasive.”
She also called for broader reforms targeting dog breeding practices. Among the measures she suggested were a vet-verified microchipping system to improve traceability, a centralised microchip portal accessible to designated authorities, and inclusion of parental microchip data to monitor overbreeding and crossbreeding.
O’Connell said that online platforms should be required to verify microchip data before allowing advertisements to be published.
“With the Programme for Government commitment in place, and the Minister now fully empowered, we have a real opportunity to lead on this issue,” she said.
“I intend to work with Minister Heydon whom I know is fully committed to see how improvements in pet welfare systems can be made and I know he has started to look at this whole sector in order to stamp out inexcusable cruelty to animals.”
Notably, Fine Gael has already been calling for greater animal welfare measures in manifestos dating back to 2016.
Under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, those convicted of animal cruelty may already be fined up to €250,000 or receive a prison sentence of up to five years.
The ISPCA reported a 49.3% rise in the number of dogs surrendered for animal welfare reasons between January and the end of November last year, compared to the same period the year before. Cat seizures and surrenders rose by 44.25% over the same timeframe.