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by Videx on 21 June 2012 - 19:06
PRINTED IN "DOG WORLD"
KC registration is no guarantee, claims Canine Alliance (UK)
20/06/2012
THE CANINE Alliance has criticised the Kennel Club’s registration system, saying that as long as it continues to register puppies from commercial breeders, people will continue to buy them.
The words ‘KC-registered’ should stand for something, it said.
Puppy farms
The comments came in the wake of the KC announcing its Puppy Awareness Week, saying ‘thousands of puppies are suffering ‘because of our ignorance’
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The week, which runs from September 8-14, aims to help people find ‘a healthy, happy puppy who is right for their lifestyle’, while raising awareness about the plight of puppies and breeding bitches born into ‘cruel puppy farms’.
"We have never before had such instant access to so much information, yet time and time again people are making the wrong decisions when buying a puppy,” said KC spokesman Caroline Kisko.
"Too many people do not know that there are vast differences between the 210 breeds of dog in this country and so end up abandoning their dogs because they discover that they don’t fit their lifestyle. Many more are buying puppies from irresponsible and cruel breeders, not realising that these pups will probably end up with health and behavioural problems.
"Sadly, tens of thousands of puppies born each year are suffering because of our ignorance. Puppy farms churn out litter after litter of undernourished and badly-cared-for puppies and then sell them on to unsuspecting owners, through pet shops, newspaper and online adverts and various other means.”
The KC says it has conducted research which shows that one in four people ‘may have bought a puppy-farmed dog’.
Buy responsibly
"We hope that Puppy Awareness Week will encourage people to buy responsibly, from KC Assured Breeders, and put puppy farmers out of business,” Mrs Kisko said.
The Alliance said that it applauded the KC’s sentiments, and that the club should be doing ‘everything in its power’ to direct puppy buyers to responsible, dedicated breeders and away from commercial breeders, often referred to as ‘puppy farmers’.
But, the Alliance said, the KC ‘could help the situation considerably’ by insisting that all puppies it registers came from parents who have been health checked and confirmed to be of an acceptable level of health and fitness.
"We are encouraged by the KC’s concerns over puppies who are not bred by caring, responsible breeders and support all its efforts in this area,” said secretary Robert Harlow. "However, it is vital that the KC does everything in its power to ensure that ‘KC-registered’ actually stands for something.
"It is extremely difficult to define ‘puppy farmer’, but as long as the KC continues to register puppies from commercial establishments whose welfare standards are well below par, puppy buyers will continue to obtain puppies from such places, assuming that their puppy’s KC registration is some kind of guarantee of quality.”
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Comment by David Payne
It is entirely logical and practical for German Shepherd Dogs (GSD) here in the United Kingdom to be REGISTERED with the SV under a SPECIFIC and CAREFULLY WORDED SET OF CRITERIA. Such criteria could include agreed health testing requirements, eg hip, elbow & DNA parentage tests. For those who wish to continue showing in Kennel Club Shows, they can of course register their dogs and litters with the Kennel Club. I would strongly recommend DUAL registration for at least the next 5 years, which gives us time to sort out any wrinkles. I am in no doubt that SV registration for GSD in the United Kingdom will be a "cornerstone" of a much better future for our breed. The British Sieger supported by REGIONAL EVENTS and the introduction of REGIONAL GROUP EVENTS (Landesgruppen) holds the by far greatest PROMISE & HOPE for our GSD breed here within the UK.
by Doppelganger on 21 June 2012 - 22:06
For anyone who is not aware of the aims and origin of the Canine Alliance: http://www.caninealliance.org/
by opa on 22 June 2012 - 08:06
UK/KC A case of TALK THE TALK AND NOT WALK THE WALK.
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