The Times they are a leaking?

Would seem that Val at the Times has had a sneaky peak at Professor Bateson's much awaited report into Pedigree Dog Breeding. Click here for the whole article.

I'll cut and paste the juicy bits...

The Times has learnt that only breeders with a registered number and who are subject to checks on their animals and premises would be allowed to sell or advertise the sale of puppies.
The proposals, which are already in force in France, are an attempt to draw a line under the unscrupulous breeding of dogs for the competition ring, which was highlighted in the television documentary Pedigree Dogs Exposed on BBC One 16 months ago.

And...

In future it is envisaged that all puppies would also be sold with a veterinary certificate guaranteeing their health and stating the name of their parents as well as the registered number of the breeder. All dogs would be microchipped and breeders would be subject to random inspections.

And...

Inbreeding of dogs was one of his main concerns, Professor Bateson said. The Kennel Club has banned the mating of parent dogs with offspring and siblings. He believes that this should be extended to grandparent and half-sibling dogs.

And...

The club has already reviewed the standards for each breed, but Professor Bateson questioned the organisation’s role as “judge and jury”. He favours instead a new statutory body to oversee all breeding practices. “I think regulation is the only way to do it. The public need to insist they know the pedigree of a dog and that it has been properly looked after, and only go to accredited breeders,” he said.

So a statutory body outside the KC, all future KC reg to be via the accredited breeder scheme with a vet cert and further tightening up of inbreeding.


Interesting.
I don't think the ABS is quite up to the job yet, but maybe the Professor will work his magic on the KC? Only a tiny number of breeders currently use the scheme so the KC would really have to crank up their recruitment and also satisfy those afraid that they are already letting in the wrong sort of breeder and shooting themselves in the foot.
Shame to not hear mention of the puppy contract in this leak, but maybe it will be in the real thing. In our March edition (out next Thursday) we've got a fascinating article which shows how current consumer legislation could be used to pretty much get rid of puppy farming and other bad breeding practise.