One of Ireland’s most notorious puppy farms sold two puppies that died within days of being brought home earlier this month, the Irish Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Their deaths mean at least three puppies have died shortly after being purchased for up to €800 from Ray and Lauren Cullivan’s huge Co. Cavan operation in the last six months.
The two tiny cavapoo puppies died earlier this month and in March, another one passed away, leaving their new owners ‘traumatised’ and ‘devastated’.
One of the pups had ‘suspected congenital blindness’ with her ‘organs in the wrong place’ while the other was suffering from ‘prolonged dehydration and was severely malnourished’.
In spite of multiple deaths, the licensed puppy farm has continued to advertise pups for sale on its website this week.
In February, the MoS revealed how the notorious puppy farm at the townland of Poles continued to reap massive profits from ‘industrial-scale breeding’ almost a decade after it was exposed by BBC’s Panorama.
The MoS told how serious concerns about the conditions of animals bred at the site re-emerged after a nine-week-old Cavapoo puppy died within 48 hours of being purchased.
One of the pups had ‘suspected congenital blindness’ with her ‘organs in the wrong place’ while the other was suffering from ‘prolonged dehydration and was severely malnourished’
Now we have learned of two more similar deaths of puppies bought from the dog breeding operation, operating as Lakeview Pets, licensed to breed 300 pups a year.
It is a ‘registered breeder’ on the Department of Agriculture list of approved breeders.
Trading as Five Star Paws, it was fined for planning offences by Cavan County Council and hit with ‘improvement notices’ after on-site inspections found it was breach of animal welfare legislation.
And despite protests and demand from animal welfare campaigners and celebrities for the puppy farm to be closed following the shocking BBC documentary, the operators were later allowed to expand their business by Cavan County Council.
Raymond Cullivan Jnr, 38, and his sister Lauren Cullivan, 32, advertise their puppies for sale daily on the website, dogs.ie.
Live ads for 25 puppies were listed on Friday.
Mr Cullivan – who was ordered to pay over €100,000 to the taxman after being on the 2024 list of tax defaulters – is listed as director of Five Star Paws, which recorded profits of almost $500,000 in its most recent financial statement for the year ending in February 2025.
Lauren Cullivan’s company, Pets4You, recorded net assets of almost €100,000 at the end of 2024.
This week, a mother of two young children has told how her family were ‘traumatised’ after her parents bought a pup from the notorious farm earlier this month that died after just two days.
Olivia Thornton from Dublin told the MoS the farm was posting new ads for puppies within an hour of them learning ‘Frankie’ had died on Sunday, July 12.
‘The vet told us that the pup likely didn’t have [enough] nutrients from birth due to a condition his mother would have had.
‘They also suspected some congenital issues.
‘The vet said when we brought Frankie in that he was dehydrated and it was prolonged so it wasn’t just sudden dehydration.
‘She knew by looking at him and checking his gums.
‘They [the Cullivans] were fully aware [that the dog had died] and they were still posting puppies [to dogs.ie] that evening.’
Ms Thornton told the MoS she only learned of the puppy farm’s history in the vet’s that evening.
Mr Cullivan – who was ordered to pay over €100,000 to the taxman after being on the 2024 list of tax defaulters – is listed as director of Five Star Paws
‘I didn’t understand the extreme nature of how they breed these puppies,’ she said.
‘When my mam rang [the farm] and said the puppy was dead they replied, “We’ll give you another one”.
‘It was like he was a pair of shoes, it was just like change him for another.
‘We thought “Are you joking?”.
‘We are all traumatised.
‘The whole time this was going on, Raymond’s main concern was about a post I’d put up on Facebook about what was happening.
‘I’ve had legal threats from him since,’ she added.
Another woman who bought a Cavapoo for €800 in March told the MoS ‘Millie’ was very sick from the moment she brought her home.
‘Lauren Cullivan told me she was “so sorry” this had happened.
‘She then offered me a new pup and asked when I could collect?
‘I couldn’t believe it and replied “no way”.
‘Millie was completely blind and her organs were in the wrong place. We got her and she just slept and slept on the way home.
‘I had her in the bed with me because she was so sick.
‘It was really sad.
‘She was already passing away when I brought her to the vet, less than 48 hours after I got her.
‘Lauren said she was eight weeks old, but the vet said she was younger.’
A vet report seen by the MoS said Millie was ‘small’ for her age and the vet was ‘suspicious’ of a congenital abnormality.
Despite ‘aggressive fluid therapy’ a decision was made to put the tiny pup to sleep.
As Ms Thornton said earlier, Raymond Cullivan has threatened her with legal action.
Raymond Cullivan Jnr, 38, and his sister Lauren Cullivan, 32, advertise their puppies for sale daily on the website, dogs.ie
A solicitor’s letter sent on behalf of the firm read: ‘We were deeply saddened to learn that the puppy later became unwell and subsequently passed away.
‘You informed us that the puppy had been admitted to the vet and that, at approximately midday the following day, the vet had indicated he was well enough to be discharged, before later contacting you to say that his condition had deteriorated dramatically.
‘Throughout this difficult situation, we acted in good faith and did everything we reasonably could to support you.
‘We paid all of the veterinary fees and refunded you the full purchase price of the puppy, despite there being no evidence that the puppy left us in poor health.
‘Despite our requests, you have failed to provide us with any of the veterinary reports or clinical records relating to the puppy’s illness and subsequent death.
‘The only documentation you have sent us has been the veterinary invoices requesting payment, all of which we paid promptly.
‘To date, you have not provided any veterinary reports explaining the diagnosis, treatment provided or cause of death, despite our requests.
‘We formally request that you provide copies of all veterinary reports, clinical records and notes relating to the puppy immediately, as these documents are necessary to establish the circumstances surrounding the puppy’s illness and death.
‘It is therefore extremely disappointing that you have now chosen to publish false and defamatory statements about our business on Facebook.
‘We have made every effort to resolve this matter amicably and fairly.
‘Unless the defamatory posts are removed immediately and no further false allegations are made about us or our business, we will have no option but to seek legal advice and consider commencing legal proceedings to protect our reputation.’
The MoS told how Ian Garvey travelled to the farm in February to buy a nine-week-old Cavapoo puppy.
‘Daisy’ – began to vomit in the car on her way home and died two days later despite a vet’s attempts to save her.
That vet’s report – also seen by the MoS – found Daisy had not received her full vaccinations and her ‘worming status was not complete’.
She was also diagnosed with ‘fading puppy syndrome’ based on ‘diagnostic findings’ and the ‘rapid progression of her illness’.
The vet noted: ‘This is a serious condition seen in young puppies and is commonly associated with an immature or compromised immune system.
In a text message to Mr Garvey, Raymond Cullivan Jnr insisted the puppy was ‘deemed healthy’ when sold. However, he still offered to refund Mr Garvey and pay 50 per cent of the €2,600 vet bill ‘without any admission of liability’.
After the BBC programme, People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy described the breeding dogs being kept in ‘coffin-type whelping boxes with their pups, unable to move’.
But the farm has continued to produce so-called designer mixed breeds such as cavapoos, cockapoos, goldendoodles, maltipoos, cavachons, poochons, and dachshunds on a mass scale.
The Cullivans’ website, Lakeviewpets.com, claims they offer a ‘local service to help you meet and pick up your new puppy right from our location’.
They also provide an ‘international service to bring your puppy right to your doorstep’.
The ad says: ‘With us, you can relax knowing your furry friend will be comfortable and arrive.
‘We handle all the necessary documentation, fosslights, vaccinations, and requirements to ensure your new puppy is healthy and happy.’
In 2017, Cavan County Council granted the Cullivans planning permission for ‘retention of building for dog breeding and conversion of buildings for dog breeding and all associated works’.
Improvement notices obtained under Freedom of Information legislation show that, a year before the BBC programme, the Council found ‘a number of non microchipped dogs on site’ and ‘non-compliance with buyer identity checks’ on the Cullivan farm.
In 2020, the local authority also found the puppy farm operators were ‘non-compliant’ under Section 15 (2) and Section 17 of the Dog Breeding Establishment Act and were ordered to take ‘immediate’ remedial action.
Section 15 (2) of the Act relates to ‘records’ being kept and made available for inspection. Section 17 relates to the ‘notification of sale or transfer of dog’.
Their deaths mean at least three puppies have died shortly after being purchased for up to €800 from Ray and Lauren Cullivan’s huge Co. Cavan operation in the last six months
In 2018, then junior minister Seán Kyne promised in the Dáil to investigate the puppy farm after TD Paul Murphy said ‘huge profits are being made from horrific animal cruelty’.
In response to our enquiries about the Cullivan puppy farm, a Department of Agriculture spokesperson said: ‘The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine strongly condemns the mistreatment of any animal and takes the matter of animal welfare most seriously.
‘Neglecting or causing unnecessary suffering to animals is not acceptable in our society.
‘All reports of alleged animal neglect or cruelty, received by the Department, are investigated and appropriate action is taken, however, the Department does not comment on individual cases.
‘In order to bring a coherent approach to dog control, policy and legislative responsibility under both the Control of Dogs Act 1986 and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 transferred to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine last year.
‘In both cases, local authorities retain responsibility for all operational and enforcement matters, including issuing Dog Breeding Licences.
‘Inspections of dog breeding establishments are carried out by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and by the Dog Warden service, acting on behalf of individual Local Authorities.’
All registered dog breeding establishments undergo an annual inspection.
Additional inspections, which include unannounced inspections are carried out.
Contacted by the MoS this weekend Raymond Cullivan hung up the phone and Lauren Cullivan failed to respond to our request for comment.
