Is the Kennel Club instrumental in propagating puppy farming?

[GSDOWNER]

Is the Kennel Club instrumental in propagating puppy farming?

Letter published in Dog World

The following letter was published in Dog World. The letter was written by Moreen Davie from A Dogs Life, a voluntary organisation based in Wales. I have been given permission to publish.

Interesting reading and KC have not responded to it!
'We applaud April Fearns’s criticism of the Kennel Club’s Accredited Breeder Scheme as we, too, have grave concerns on the KC registration of pedigree puppies which are all too often reared in unsuitable conditions by greedy back yard breeders and sold to an unsuspecting public at unreasonably high prices.


Of the 260 calls received following our advert on “sale of sick puppies”, nearly all of which were K.C. Registered, 30 complaints were made to the Kennel Club by the new owners, 15 of whom had spent £29,755 on veterinary fees. The Kennel Club provides a service to non-commercial breeders (namely puppy farmers) at a charge of £15 whereby K.C. Reg. puppies are placed on a list of breeders which is distributed to a prospective purchaser of a puppy. The K.C. strongly deny that they “recommend” but how else is this advice to be viewed? In some of the cases received the owners had contacted the K.C. and had indeed been recommended to a breeder, two of the pups purchased died within 24 hrs.
Under the K.C. Code of Ethics Item 9, by which the K.C. expect breeders to abide “Owners will not sell any dog to commercial dog wholesalers etc” yet a Labrador was sold from a Pet Shop carrying K.C. 6 weeks free insurance , the pup suffered from a skin allergy, diarrhoea and sickness, vet’s fees incurred were £1,000.


Three separate complaints were against the same breeder, one case of a Lab with an inflamed bowel and hereditary allergies, another of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier that had its back legs reconstructed, another Golden Lab with joint problems resulting in more operations. In each case the K.C. stated there was nothing they could do even though all the pups were given 6 wks free insurance by the K.C. Four Yorkshire Terries were sold by another breeder, one had no hip bone, one had systemic liver shunt, one was pts after two months, in all cases the testicles had not dropped resulting in further surgery. One furious owner was told by the K.C. that inbreeding is not illegal. In one letter from the K.C. they offer their condolences but state that private sales of dogs do not come under their jurisdiction and advised the owner to contact Trading Standards.


In all the cases whereby owners had contacted the Kennel Club they were either not interested or refused to make an investigation.


In our view the Kennel Club is instrumental in propagating puppy farming and whilst they believe that it is necessary to keep the lines open in many of the cases inbreeding is merely causing suffering and death because of congenital diseases being carried forward.'
Moreen Davie. A Dog’s Life, Cardiff

It would be interesting to know if you, or if anyone you know that has made a complaint to the Kennel Club, were they helpful? Did they take action? your answers will be very much appricated

[GSDOWNER]

I wish I had seen this article sooner, I made the KC get involved after about 20 phone calls asking them for help, I even got the genetics section involved...............Was it worth it........no my breeder is still breeding and the KC is still registering her litters,

My breeder has dismissed the letters sent from the KC, apprently she does not have to take into account siblings, aunties, uncles etc that have genetic faults, as long as the breeder mates two dogs with low hipscores, then she is doing nothing wrong in the eyes of the Kennel Club

This is my rant and rave, and it shows how badly let down I was by both the breeder and the Kennel Club, In some of the posts your can feel the pain a buyer feels.

http://www.mygermanshepherd.co.uk/fo...thread.php?t=6

this is shocking im speechless

[wildmoor]

I suppose I was lucky back in the early 90s when Brian Leonard was Chairman they were instrumental in helping me get purchase price back and officialy warned the breeder also they give me a copy of the warning.
The Welsh Assessmbly dont help they give farming subsidies to puppy farmers.

[GypsyGSD]

When I spoke to the kennal club for advice on a certain breeder, they were of no help at all, all they told me to do was go to trading standards which I did , they were a lot of help informed me of my rights under sale of goods act and how to contact the local authority which issues breeding licence. GypsyX

I do wonder if the Kennel Club are actually any good at anything.

[GSDOWNER]

Originally Posted by Hammy

I do wonder if the Kennel Club are actually any good at anything.

Taking peoples money

[LOVEGSD]

It makes a complete mockery of the KC...it should be abolished, it's a complete waste of time! * am really getting myself wound up with this*

What's the point of having a list of "accredited breeders" when it's not monitored??

[twinclaire]

I think registering some dogs at the kennel club is a farse, I rem years ago a woman bred rottweilers, her breeding was mother to son father to daughter all interbred ect and registered them all in the original mother and fathers name which I thought was illegal.
mel

Here in Puerto Rico we have two organizations, one is the AKC and the other is the FCI in PR, I can say the FCPR does envolves in situations like the one you are talking about, they carry on seminars, talks, activities and do a yearly breeder seminar to help increase the attention to good quality, responsible and reliable breeders, legally they cannot go aginst any of the puppy mills nor Pet Shops nor irresponsible breeders unless they are caught in a heavy neglection situation which the law here in PR will pursuit.
Most of my clients come throught the FCPR, they have gradually been able to create awareness of the importance on buying dogs from reputable breeders and they a\carry on a heavy propaganda, so little by little either the irresponsible breeders start to make good things happen changing their breeding and better caring plans or they are left on the side with people rejecting their dogs. The clubs MUST stand side by side with the good reputable breeders, this is the only way good healthy quality will arrise. I really hope you can make these peole listen and start taking action, the reality of a Kennel Club is not just create more puppies and take moneys for regostrations, they should be committed to quality and excellence in all the means, health, standard, performance and temperament.
SAlute form Puerto rico
Southernwind Kennels!!!