In September, the Kennel Club ran its annual Puppy Awareness Week, about the importance of buying a healthy, well-bred puppy from a responsible breeder, and the heartache and expense that can follow if you don't. Thousands of people engaged with the campaign, including veterinary surgeries, and while awareness about puppy farming appears to be growing, one in four people still source their pups on the internet, pet shops or from free newspaper ads, all outlets that are often used by puppy farmers. Furthermore, half do not see they puppy's breeding environment and one in three do not see the puppy, despite the success of campaigns such as Pup Aid's ‘Where's Mum?’
It seems that while people have some awareness about the perils of puppy farming, they are still not always aware about how easily they could be duped by a puppy farmer and end up being a victim — and owning a victim — of this cruel trade. The reason so many fall victim to the puppy farming trade is that people are able to flout the law and cut corners when it comes to dog breeding and it is increasingly easy for them to make money from these pups, while remaining relatively anonymous.
There are laws in place to try and curb puppy farming but they are largely ineffective. The Breeding of Dogs Act 1973 says that breeding establishments need to be licensed by their Local Authority, but they often lack the resources and training to address poor breeding practice. Laws surrounding the sale of pups in pet shops are also murky, and while Local Authorities can ban such practices, this power is not widely known about or used. Furthermore, changes to the Pet Travel Scheme mean that there is an influx of dogs coming from poor conditions abroad and being sold for premium prices in the UK.
And if legislation fails to curb puppy farming activity, the internet and pet shops make it easier than ever for breeders to make money from the horrendous practice. They will often sell their puppies on the internet — later delivering the pups straight to people's doors or meeting people at neutral locations, but always ensuring that the pup is never seen in its real breeding conditions. Even if people have suspicions, by the time they have met the puppy, they want to rescue it.
Puppy farmers also sell through pet shops. Kennel Club research showed that one in five pups bought in pet shops will contract the potentially deadly parvovirus. Pet shops provide the perfect environment for a quick sale, playing on people's desire for instant gratification, meaning that people will rarely question what happened to the puppy before it reached its final point of sale. The end result is that people frequently end up with a puppy that gets sick or dies. Previous Kennel Club research has shown that one in five pups bought from pet shops or online die before they are 6 months old.
In order to tackle the problem, the Kennel Club established an Assured Breeder Scheme (ABS) in 2004, and it has UKAS accreditation to certify breeders on this scheme. All breeders on the scheme have to follow strict health and welfare rules, which include providing clean and comfortable breeding conditions, permanent identification and the relevant health tests for the breed. The Kennel Club inspects scheme members before they join and every 3 years thereafter. This is the only scheme of its kind in the UK and the Kennel Club's simple message, which it is asking the veterinary profession to help it spread, is ‘ABS is Best’.
While ‘ABS is Best’ is the most simple message for people to take away, as the puppy buying ‘dos’ have already been done for the puppy buyer, the Kennel Club is dedicated to helping people to spot the signs of a responsible breeder. It has made an animated film about the dos and don'ts of buying a puppy, available for veterinary surgery waiting rooms via the Vet Channel and can be viewed on the Kennel Club website and YouTube. It has also made posters available for veterinary surgeries.
The Kennel Club urges veterinary nurses to help us by making clients aware of the importance of buying a puppy from a responsible breeder, and the perils of buying a pup born on a puppy farm.