DUBLIN SPCA AND ULSTER
SPCA WARN OF POTENTIAL CANINE BRUCELLOSIS EPIDEMIC
PUPPY BREEDER CONFIRMS PRESENCE OF DISEASE –
DEPARTMENT MUST TAKE NECESSARY STEPS TO PREVENT ITS SPREAD
Dublin, 3 May 09:
Information received from reliable sources has led
Dublin SPCA Animal Welfare personnel and their colleagues from the
Ulster SPCA to visit a puppy farm in Offaly to investigate reports of a
potentially devastating outbreak of a virulent disease amongst animals
kept on the premises. Canine Brucellosis (Brucella canis) poses
a public health hazard since it is transmissible to humans, especially
those handling aborted fetuses. Humans may develop a serious liver
impairment or arthritis.
The farm, near Moate, is one of Europe’s largest mass breeding
establishments and churns out thousands of so called ‘pedigree puppies’
each year to meet demand in Ireland and the UK for ‘designer dogs’.
The operators refused cooperation on the visit but reluctantly confirmed
the presence of Canine Brucellosis. This is a highly contagious
bacterial disease and will now be endemic amongst the hundreds of dogs
and pups currently on the farm or recently exported from it.
There is NO vaccine or effective treatment for this disease and it is
likely the farm will require depopulation. The outbreak clearly has
potential welfare and economic repercussions in the Republic and it is
imperative animals are not removed from this farm until their health
status has been assessed. Both the Dublin SPCA and ISPCA have contacted
veterinary authorities in the Republic to request an immediate
quarantine of the premises.
In the absence of any effective welfare legislation North and South both
the Dublin and Ulster SPCAs are constantly warning the puppy buying
public of the pitfalls of buying dogs from unknown sources. This
outbreak emphasizes our many warnings; the puppy farming industry in
Ireland breeds both dogs and disease and must be properly regulated.
Jimmy Cahill, Chief Executive, Dublin SPCA said: “We are calling on the
Department of Agriculture or Department of Environment to take immediate
action and quarantine this puppy farm to prevent any further
contamination of the canine population in this country. We anticipate
that this breeder will start moving animals off his premises today thus
escalating the spread of this virulent disease. Every hour increases the
risk of a countrywide Canine Brucellosis epidemic. This health risk is
an inevitable result of the antiquated legislation in this country which
allows inhumane over-breeding to continue.”
Stephen Philpott, Chief Executive, USPCA: “Puppy farming in Ireland,
unlike most European countries, has no regulations governing its
practice. In the absence of effective legislation in both the North and
South the USPCA is constantly warning the puppy buying public of the
pitfalls that can lurk in an apparently innocuous looking ad offering
them the puppy of their dreams. This outbreak underlines our countless
warnings; the puppy farming industry in Ireland, fuelled by greed,
breeds both dogs and disease and must be properly regulated.”
Dublin SPCA and Ulster SPCA are jointly issuing warnings to their
colleagues in the RSPCA, Irish and UK Kennel clubs and Veterinary
Council of Ireland as well as Government Departments. Minister for the
Environment John Gormley must introduce dog breeding regulations first
promised by the department in 2006.
Source:
DSPCA
