With one in ten Welsh dog owners admitting they may have bought a puppy-farmed dog, the Kennel Clubs latest report, ‘Collaboration is Key’ calls for more collaboration with the Welsh Government to drive puppy farmers out of business.

 

This coincides with the announcement that third party sales of puppies and kittens will be banned, alongside a review of the breeding regulations, in Wales. The regulations were a major shake-up in 2014 but have had little effect on the puppy farming industry due to poor enforcement by local authorities. There has been little increase in the number of licensed breeders, with Welsh local authorities estimated to be licensing only one third of breeders requiring one. The report highlighted inconsistency across local authorities and a disparity between the 12 Assured Breeders who were suspended by the Kennel Club in 2018 and only two licences revoked by local authorities in 2016 and 2017.

 

The report sets out how better collaboration would enable the Kennel Club to inspect the premises of dog breeders who are members of its independently accredited Assured Breeder Scheme; freeing up valuable local authority resources to tackle bad breeders whilst reducing the financial burden on those who are responsible, and prioritise health and welfare. This would help avoid duplicate inspections, additional paperwork and associated costs and most importantly benefit the health and welfare of puppies being bred.

 

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary said: “Without collaboration, tighter regulations do not equate to better enforcement. It’s so important that the Welsh Government learns from both the successes and failures of other UK jurisdictions in their approach to updating dog breeding regulations, and strike the right balance between making proper improvements without overcomplicating the system for those involved.

 

“Following our Puppy Awareness Week research which shows how many people inadvertently bought from puppy farms – with one in ten dog owners suspecting their dog is from a puppy farm -, we are also continuing to urge puppy buyers to do proper, careful and extensive research – to ‘Paws for thought’ and make sure the pup is right for you, and that you can spot the signs of a bad breeder. The more time you spend, the more aware you will be, and the much more likely you are to bring home a happy, healthy puppy, rather than fueling untold suffering and heartache.”

The Kennel Club’s report on proposed dog breeding regulations, ‘Collaboration is Key: The Way Forward for Breeding Regulations’ can be found at www.thekennelclub.org.uk/media/1159047/collaboration_is_key.pdf

Further statistics from the Kennel Club’s Puppy Awareness Week research and tips on how to find a responsible breeder can be found at www.thekennelclub.org.uk/paw

Back