Puppy farms are profit-driven businesses that do not supply adequate veterinary treatment, diet, exercise, or shelter. Puppy farms remain in operation because there is a demand for the dogs and because many people are not aware of their existence. Very often, the puppies are sold to people online and via newspaper.

The cages at a puppy fams are stacked high in tight rows, and many times the rooms are dimly lit or completely dark. The dogs are kept in short supply of water and food and must urinate and defecate exactly where they lie. They become covered in the waste as well because of the dog in the cage above them. There is generally no bedding so the dogs spend their lives in the bare cage. Urine and faeces fall through the cages or collect on the floor. Protection from the weather is usually minimal at best. The dogs are cold in winter and stifling hot in summer.

Dogs of all sizes are bred and raised in puppy farms, but the smaller breeds are particularly exploited because they are more in demand. Dogs that are bred and raised in puppy farms frequently have hereditary diseases due to inbreeding, or injuries. Dogs from puppy farms are not only prone to illnesses and disease, but are often timid or fearful due to the absence of socialisation and neglect. Once the adult female reaches the point where she is unable to reproduce, she is of no use to the owners and is usually killed. Some are sold or given to research labs.

There are some laws in place, but puppy farms still exist. No one, however, has been prosecuted. What may not be clear is that puppy farms are not just the only big operations. Backyard breeders are also producing puppies for money under harmful, frightening conditions are operating throughout Ireland.

There are steps you can take to help stop puppy farms.

1. Adopt puppies and dogs from animal shelters as opposed to getting them online or from a pet store. By adopting a puppy or adult dog from an animal shelter, you will give them a second chance.
2. Get in touch with your legislators and let them know that you are concerned about puppy farms and want the issue to become a top priority for the nation's lawmakers. Request that they broaden the reach of the Animal Welfare Act to include kennels that sell large numbers of puppies directly to the public.
3. Donate to the ISPCA.
4. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper.

Please do your research. Do not support this inhumane business. There is no one with more power to fight puppy farms than you, the consumer.