Oh, and Happy Ginger Day, we can celebrate it with cage rage.

This is doing the rounds at the moment and it cracks me up.

 

What an actor. Have a great weekend folks.

Puppy Farms in Ireland are thriving.

It’s sad to think that not only are we the financial laughing-stock of Europe we are also the puppy farm capital as well.  But I suppose it should come as no real shock to anyone with even a passing interest in animals welfare that this is the case. We as a nation have long only paid lip service to the well-being of the creatures forced to share our land. That’s why coursing is legal, why fox-hunting is legal, why docking tails is legal, why Smithfield market is still open, why thousands of horses are facing a winter of starvation and neglect, and why we still think nothing of battery chickens and pigs kept in pens so small the cannot turn around.

Sites like DoneDeal.ie make it easy to flog pups to people who can’t imagine the selfishness that creates them, images of cute little puppies sitting on cushions, or being lovingly held by a devoted family member appear on the site daily. Cross bred pedigreee mutts like Labradoodles and malti-poos are all the rage. Behind this though are the miserable lives of over bred bitches, expected to churn out on litter after another until they are of no use to anyone.

The farm raised in Tipperary yesterday gives an insight into the real conditions in which many of these dogs are kept and raised. Locked away in dark, dank pens, surrounded by feces and dirt, riddled with worms, unused to human handling. Why on earth any sane person hand over money to perpetuate this kind of misery is beyond me.

I love Pugs and French bulldogs, I really do. But the way things are in this country I would be incredibly wary of getting one without a detailed history and evaluation. I would want records as long as my arm, I would want to see the parents, talk to the breeder in-depth, see medical records, enquire as to how often dam had been in pup and a whole host of other questions. I would want the medical history of the parents, a vaccination booklet, everything and anything to ensure I was not funding a breeding racket. Even then I would be wary. Being honest, were I to ever get a dog again, I would most likely rehome one from the pound. And by the by, there are an awful lot of beautiful pedigree dogs dumped into the pound.
People wake up. If you want a pedigree dog, do serious homework. Demand to see where the pups are kept and raised, ask awkward questions, be pushy. Don’t go to meet a buyer by the side of the road. Don’t be afraid to walk away if your suspicions are tingling. Don’t buy a pedigree pup on the cheap because it’s got a widdle cute face. All pups are cute, but dogs live long lives, and  even a healthy dog costs plenty of money in vets bills over the years.
Be vigilant. A lot of good breeders will not sell pups coming up to Christmas, and with good reason, the pounds are full of impulse purchased dogs. Oh he was so cute, but then he chewed things and barked and annoyed the neighbours and oh, you like a clean house so you think the dog, social creature that he is would like to live 24/7 in the back yard?
NO.
Don’t do it. For the sake of the animals don’t do it. We may not be able to control the economy, but we can make a difference to the lives of our animals.