Irish Eyes Are Smiling Over Puppy Mill Law

If your dogs’ tails are wagging a little more today, maybe they’ve heard the news that Ireland has cracked down on puppy mills! (Note to U.S. legislators: What’s the holdup?)

The new Irish laws took effect on New Year’s Day, outlawing the horrific conditions—including cramped enclosures, filth, malnutrition, exposure, disease, and a lack of socialization and veterinary care—common to those nasty intensive dog-breeding operations. All puppies must be microchipped so that the breeder can be identified, and authorities can inspect and shut down any facility that fails to meet the standards set by the new regulations.

So if you see people sporting a “Kiss Me—I’m Irish” button on St. Patrick’s Day, feel free to take them up on it. But a much better way to pay tribute to the kind folks of the Emerald Isle is by speaking out against cruel and irresponsible breeding and the pet trade in your own corner of the world.