Open letter to the KC

Dogs Today's latest issue out in the shops today and hopefully in the hands of subscribers already contains some really meaty articles, but the one grabbing the headline's this week is the open letter Jemima Harrison (the creator of the groundbreaking documentary Pedigree Dogs Exposed) has written to the Kennel Club.

Click here for today's Independent's coverage...and  now on the BBC website... and the Telegraph blog by vet Pete Wedderburn where Jemima's to do list is reproduced.

To order your copy phone 01276 858880 or click this link.

Illustrations by Kevin Brockbank 

Comments

Anonymous said…
Why does this woman continue to blame the KC for everything? If the public stopped buying sickly unhealthy pups from puppy farms then they would stop producing them and the general health of dogs would improve dramatically.Buy from an accredited breeder\!!!!!!
PBurns said…
I would be an anonymous coward too if my brain was as small as the previous poster.

The vehicle equivalent would be someone saying:

"What do we have so many people talking about car safety standards? If the public stopped buying defective cars made in this country, then the quality of cars would improve dramatically. Buy a Toyota!"

Right. Keep thinking anonymous. Some day you'll have a thought worth putting your name to. Not yet, apparently, but your mother and I DO have high hopes!

PBurns
Anonymous said…
Oh Lordy here we go again with the puppy farm thing.... they may produce badly reared dogs but genetically flawed thats down to others entirely
And have looked at the EBV scheme, cant argue with that for the breeds that have tests for genetic disease But what about those that dont ? Will they have the same opportunity to find out the diversity of their breed or have to wait until testable disease is as prevalent in their breed
Prevention is better than cure so will the KC use this to halt the decline in all breeds or just the ones that have almost reached the point of no return
Anonymous said…
to PBurns who so arrogantly dismissed the first poster's comments.....whether you like it or not, it is ONLY the show breeders who A) know about B) bother about health testing schemes......puppy farmed dogs are a huge issue because they are mass-produced with NO concern over hereditary patterns, or the health status of parents......if you can't see that is a major problem then give my mother a call and she'll explain.

Furthermore your analogy with regard to automobiles is absurd as it compares animals to machinery....if you think you can purchase ANY animal and be guaranteed of lifelong health and happiness then you SHOULD choose a robot with a manufacturer's warranty. Failing that, choose a puppy from a devoted breeder who devotes his/her life to the betterment of her dogs and breed, and actively health tests stock for the apporpriated health concerns.....until your brain can come up with a better solution, that is all we have to work with.

Enjoy Crufts!! We will xx
Anonymous said…
Jeez Here we go again LOL She always seems to pop back up again as soon as March comes around. This line from article sums it all up "Her remarks coincide with the start of Crufts dog show in Birmingham." Get a Life Pleassssse
alfmcmalf said…
Accredited breeders don't necessarily do all the tests they could. So as Professor Bateson pointed out in his review of pedigree dog breeding the scheme falls way short of being anything that the puppy buying public can trust.

This here for instance from today's dog world.
http://www.dogworld.co.uk/News/10-Dachs

For heaven's sake, of course don't buy from a puppy farm or pet shop. But there is unacceptable risks attached to getting any pedigree puppy in the UK at the moment because of the decades of poor breeding practices totally endorsed by the KC. Let's face it sadly most of the people I know with sick dogs got them from KC breeders - and some of those are on the ABS.

Philippa
Anonymous said…
Putting my tin hat firmly on...

Dear other anonymous poster who said with steam coming out of their ears...

"it is ONLY the show breeders who A) know about B) bother about health testing schemes......"

I recently bought a Cockerpoo. Both parents had all the health tests appropriate to their breed. Unless the KC has started registering this breed I don't think my breeder was a show breeder! Just someone who wants to breed happy healthy well socialised pets!
Beverley Cuddy said…
Can I just say Puppy Contracts.

It'll put an end to puppy farming, bad breeding and all manner of other social problems.

While it's obvious it'll take a lot more to reform the KC to everyone's satisfaction and it's easy to get depressed about it all and fight among ourselves as to who are the goodies and baddies while it all remains a mess, the puppy contract is within grasp and could speed up change with across the board support.

Picking at scabs is addictive, but it may be time to stop and let things heal over and unite on this issue which will change so very much for dogs.

Beverley, Editor (far from anonymous, with quite dischevelled hair and already hitting the chocolate this early in the day should my own very personal critic be wondering!)
Anonymous said…
well said beverly, thanks for injecting some order into the situation.....and please keep the focus on health and not grooming methods, as that only serves to trivialise the matter.
Kate Price said…
To anonymous (4th comment down),
I could quite easily compare my pug to my previous peugeot 307 from 2001 as she has had just about as many recalls to fix her as my car had.
And I'd like to add, when I published my story about my dogs problems, the PRESIDENT of the National Pug Dog Club critisised me and said, quote "have to ask myself why didn’t she take the puppy back the moment she realised that it was not a healthy puppy because that is what a sensible person should do".
So the National Pug Dog Club likened my beloved pet to a faulty fridge freezer.
PBurns said…
Poor Anonymous Coward who does not have courage of conviction ...

The breeds that you claim to love were not created by veterinary testing, were they?

No!

Pointer, shepherd, terrier, retriever, molosser, spaniel, sled dog, running dog ... these dogs were created on the hill by men who valued working dogs, not by gas bag theorists who inbred to win ribbons.

But of course the men on the hill were honest men with honest dogs.

They were people with real names who had no shame in standing behind what they were producing.

And what have we replaced them with?

And what have we replaced their dogs with?

Why Anonymous Cowards, with defective dogs that could not catch a cold if it were screwed to to the ground.

Today we have bird dogs that cannot find a feather in a chicken shed, retrievers with blown hips, terriers too big to get down a hole, and "sled dogs" that have never seen three feet of snow.

And of course, we have dogs with jammed faces that cannot breathe, dogs with wrecked hearts, shot eyes, and brain and nerve issue.

We have dogs falling dead from cancer at age four, and dogs with liver troubles, joint problems, and skin problems.

Oh but we test, says the anonymous coward.

Right.

You must test because you inbreed your dogs in a closed registry, never doubting that the system that wrecked the dog (but which did not create the dog) is the salvation.

Still drunk? Drink more! Surely the "hair of the dog that bit you" is the cure!

Right. Said like a true alcoholic.

Poor Anonymous Coward.

Show us your dogs.

Give us your name.

By telling us so little, you tell us so much.

PBurns
Anonymous said…
Health problems,a solution? Make it mandatory,no exemptions,that every dog + bitch is health tested
using KC/BVA shemes applicable to their type/breed before mating.
Failure to adhere should result in
all that owners dogs confiscated,
neutered and returned or rehomed.No appeals or human rights
complaints.The data would then give a correct overview of breeds health status.
Anonymous said…
Mr PBurns, what an arrogant and self righteous bully you are...much like your doggie avatar, a breed with has been bred to be so agressive and driven that they make horrible pets for unsuspecting families..you shout and flail about when others disagree with your blinkered view on the state of dogs. You don't listen enough to know that the show breeders you condemn are in many cases the ones working to create the solution. You exploit the very people who are working toward what you claim to be a supporter of...dog welfare and health.....

Mr Anonymous
Anonymous said…
Pburns is so typical of the anti KC "lobby"who continually blame the KC for all the wrongs in the dog world,and is also a rude arrogant person.This is a discussion area and people should not be insulted for voicing their opinion.The dog world needs to unite to improve things,but that is not likely with such attitudes.
Anonymous said…
I love PBurns.

Witty, ascerbic, humorous, knowledgeable and with the intelligence to propose, and defend, his arguments.

He makes me think and he makes me smile.
Anonymous said…
Talk about contradition 'This is a discussion area and people should not be insulted for voicing their opinion' and then in the same breath you spout 'and is also a rude arrogant person' - how very telling that is. When will people realise that 'bad breeders/dog shows' does not mean 'all'. If you are doing things the right way, why should such comments refer to you at all. DNA, health tests, screening - all great leaps forward in the last few years, but may I also suggest a tool which is missing - logic and common sense!
Anonymous said…
Here we go again. Crufts comes along and out from under rocks crawl the old girls. They need no introduction as they both have their own agendas to sell magazines and promote their films.
Go visit Crufts and see for yourself. It's brilliant and the exhibits are happy and well bred.
Anonymous said…
PBurns what do you achieve by
continually calling posters cowards?Your poetic waffle may amuse some people, but true dog people want to unite and improve all aspects of dogs lives,that will never be achieved with petty point scoring and name calling.oh and by the way my dear mum sadly died 6 years ago so please no jibes on that subject
Anonymous said…
Well said Pburns so lovely to see someone not afraid to say the truth.
Anonymous said…
Before we are buried in broken soap boxes and lost dummies and run the risk of a burning effigy appearing, the problems facing dogs are longstanding, complex and cannot be solved by hiding behind the fence throwing grenades.

Have any of the outraged actually read the Bateson report - the blame was not laid at one persons feet. You will find that while the farms should be abolished, there are countless stories of sick dogs from independent breeders.

The KC set themselves up as the best and therefore get most of the fire, yet when they have implemented change, it's the breed clubs while claiming the strongest love for their breed, kick up the most protestation at any changes.

Dogs continue to be bought and sold through ads in the local paper. Rescues are overlooked with the assumption that the dogs will be too much work. Active ignorance is rife within the public of possible health implications.

And as you clamour to get PBurns head on a stick - take the time and read his articles. They are thought provoking, intelligent and not bias as some may claim. The most recent on the Pit Bull being a prime example.

It's true that the dog world needs to unite - not hearing much unity so far.

Emma

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