Please read the following from The Kennel Club

The Kennel Club urges people to get puppy aware

More than one in four dog owners may have bought a puppy farmed dog, many of which end up with health and behavioural issues. This has prompted the Kennel Club to raise awareness about puppy farming and responsible ownership through a national Puppy Awareness Week (PAW) this week, 12th to 18th September.

Puppy Farming
Puppy farming is a cruel industry where puppies are bred from overused breeding bitches, without any regard for the health or wellbeing of the puppy or mother. Worryingly 44 percent of people are not aware of what a puppy farm is – so it is no surprise that 29 percent of people have bought their puppy from the internet, a pet shop or a newspaper advert, all outlets often used for selling puppy farmed puppies.

Furthermore, three in five people admit that they did not see their puppy with its mother and more than half did not see it in its breeding environment before they brought it home - steps that a responsible breeder will insist upon. This has prompted fears that more and more people are buying from puppy farmers who are hiding behind the internet and delivering unhealthy puppies directly to people’s doors. The Kennel Club is concerned that puppy farmers, who cut corners in order to sell pups at knock down prices, will do more trade during tough financial times, as 66 percent of people have said that they would buy a puppy sold at a lower than average price.

Worryingly, 66 percent of owners were never given the parents’ health certificates, a good indicator of the likely health of the puppy, potentially costing them dearly in vet bills further down the line. 8 percent have been sold a puppy before it was 8 weeks old, another money making tactic used by puppy farmers, which can lead to behavioral issues later in life.

A word from the Kennel Club
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “Puppy farming is a cruel trade that treats dogs as commodities rather than living creatures. You wouldn’t buy a commodity, such as a car, from a dodgy dealer offering no MOT or service documents, but people don’t ask for the same assurances from a breeder when buying a dog.

“Our worry is that in the future even more people will be fooled by puppy farmers, who hide behind the internet, being drawn in by the knock down prices without being aware of the high cost that they will pay later. This will simply grow the abandoned dog population and result in even more suffering.

“It is absolutely vital that people go to a Kennel Club Assured Breeder or a rescue home and that they know what assurances and information they are entitled to when buying a puppy, or it will lead to hefty veterinary bills and heartache further down the line.”

Act now
The Kennel Club wants to help people to identify the signs of a puppy farmer and is urging all puppy buyers to go to a rescue home or a Kennel Club Assured Breeder. The Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme is the only scheme in the UK which sets standards for and monitors dog breeders – much needed in an industry which is going largely unregulated. The Kennel Club has called on the government to put in place standards, similar to those used by the Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme, for all breeders.

The Kennel Club warns that people should:

• Always see the puppy with its mother, in its home environment.
• Insist on seeing all documentation, including any health certificates for the puppy’s parents. The health test results of all Kennel Club registered dogs can be viewed on the Kennel Club website.
• Beware the bargain. This probably means corners were cut elsewhere!

The Kennel Club has created a petition to help end puppy farming and hopes to reach 100,000 signatures so that it may be addressed in the House of Commons. Dog lovers are invited to add their support by visitinghttp://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/8557.