Animal Welfare groups have slammed the NSW parliamentary inquiry into puppy farms, claiming that the committee's findings only repeat old recommendations and do not go far enough to address dangerous breeding practices.

The joint inquiry into companion animal breeding practices handed down its recommendations on Thursday, after a series of investigations by Fairfax Media and Animal rights group Oscar's Law uncovered hundreds of dogs at several farms living in "inhumane and abhorrent" conditions.

A dead dog at a puppy farm in Armidale

Chief among the recommendations is a breeder licensing scheme. The NSW government failed to implement the proposal three years ago after it was first put forward by the Companion Animal Task Force.

"I think it's ironic that recommendation one is just to implement previous recommendations," said RSPCA NSW chief executive Steve Coleman, "We made it clear that a lot of this work has been scoped before we just need the government to implement it."