Kennel Club responds to RSPCA Campaign
The RSPCA's “Bred for Looks, Born to Suffer” campaign against the breeding of dogs based purely on looks and without regard to the animal's health and welfare has prompted a concerned response from the Kennel Club.
It is the opinion of the Kennel Club that the RPSCA campaign is fundamentally flawed in that it focusses on breed standards, which already have a strong emphasis on the importance of the animal's welfare, rather than on the need for higher standards for all dog breeders. The Kennel Club's own Assured Breeders Scheme insists upon the breeding of 'healthy, well adjusted puppies”.
This is not the first time that the two organisations have come into conflict. The RSPCA withdrew from the 2008 Crufts Show, run by the Kennel Club, citing “morally unjustifiable” breeding practices.
Commenting, Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “Whilst the Kennel Club shares the RSPCA’s belief that too many people are buying dogs without undertaking research and demanding certain breeding standards are met, we feel that their new advertising campaign is completely misdirected and fails to address the real issues affecting dogs.
“By focusing on the Kennel Club’s breed standards, which only apply to those purebred dogs which compete at dog shows, which amounts to a small percentage of all purebred dogs, they have ignored the far more critical area of how dogs are bred.
“With the exception of Kennel Club Assured Breeders, who sign up to standards that ensure that they put their dogs’ health and welfare first, the rest of the dog breeding market is effectively unregulated. There are sadly large numbers of dogs out there, both pedigrees and ‘designer’ crossbreeds, being bred entirely for looks by puppy farmers, often in terrible conditions.
“We believe that the RSPCA would have been far better to have invested in a more focused campaign to educate potential buyers to only buy from responsible breeders, such as Kennel Club Assured Breeders, who have their dogs health screened, socialise them and provide excellent after care and advice.
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
