Report Recommends Dog Breeder Checks

Thu, 07 Jan 2010

A new report commissioned by the Dogs Trust and the Kennel Club has recommended a change in the way that dogs are bought and sold in Britain. The report by leading zoologist Sir Patrick Bateson recommends a compulsory registration scheme for both pedigree and cross breeders, in the hope of eradicating controversial breeding practices which can contribute to pet deformities and dog diseases. Only breeders with a registered number would be allowed to sell animals or advertise the sale of puppies .

The report also recommends that pets are sold with a veterinary certificate guaranteeing their health and disclosing the name of their parents and the registered number of the breeder. A similar scheme is already in place in France. In the UK at present, the Kennel Club does run an accredited breeder scheme, though it is voluntary, and just 10 per cent of Britain’s pedigree puppies are subject to the scheme’s checks.

Should the report’s proposals be implemented, all dogs would also have to be microchipped – a measure long called for by vets, while breeders would also be the subject of random inspections. The report is set to be published this month and is sure to provoke an angry response from breeders.

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