Thousands of dogs are bred in Ireland, legally, in an intensive manner.
What is a “Dog Breeding Establishment”
A premises at which bitches (female dogs) are kept, not less than 6 of which are more than 6 months old, and capable of being used for breeding purposes.
How Many Dogs are Kept in Dog Breeding Establishments in Ireland?
According to a 2025 report by Naturewatch:
- Overall, 2,976 female dogs are kept for licensed breeding.
- Zero councils could confirm how many females, males, litters of puppies and non-breeding dogs were kept at commercial dog breeding establishments they had licensed.
Where Can I find These Dog Breeding Establishments?
Local Authorities/Councils should have a register of Dog Breeding Establishments.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine provide a centralised list, but it may not be recent.
Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010
An Act to regulate the operation of dog breeding establishments; to require local authorities to establish and maintain registers of dog breeding establishments; to prohibit the operation of unregistered dog breeding establishments; to amend the Control of Dogs Act 1986 ; and to provide for matters connected therewith.
View Legislation
How Can I Check the Details of a Dog Breeding Establishment?
1. Check the Dog Breeding Establishments Central Register
The link to the register can be found on gov.ie website – scroll down to “Dog Breeding Establishments Central Register”.
Problems with the Dog Breeding Establishments Central Register:
User Access – it is a PDF document and an online web search is not easily done.
Data Quality – “Some Local Authority areas do not have any Dog Breeding Establishments registered in their area, in a small number of cases we are awaiting updated data and will update the list once this information is available” – gov.ie
Usefulness of the Data – No details on breeds and numbers of male, female or pups in the registered establishments. You have to go to the local authority website to find some of these details.
The register is provided by the government and includes:
- Registration Number
- Name of Establishment
- Address
- Local Authority Area
- Type of Establishment (animal welfare charity, commercial boarding kennels, DBE etc.)
- First Year Registered
2. Check the Local Authority Website for the Finer Detail on the Dog Breeding Establishment
The register includes:
- The name of the applicant.
- The address at which he or she ordinarily resides.
- The address of the premises or dog breeding establishment to which the application relates.
- The maximum number of bitches over 4 months old capable of being used for breeding purposes that may be kept at the premises or dog breeding establishment.
- Any conditions attached to the registration.
