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Kennel Club Assured Breeders ‘should be considered low risk’
The only exception would be if there was significant evidence of poor animal welfare standards or non-compliance found during a local authority inspection.

Defra issues note to local authority licensing officers

Any member of the Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme that has three years of compliance history with the body ‘should be considered low-risk and receive the appropriate star rating’.

In a note to local authority licensing regulators,
Defra states that the only exception would be if there was significant evidence of poor animal welfare standards or non-compliance found during inspection.

The updated guidance comes after concerns were raised about inconsistencies in local authority licensing. The Kennel Club has been lobbying the Government for several years on the issue, which came on the back of a survey it conducted with Our Dogs newspaper.

The updated document now states: ‘In relation to dog breeding, the Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme operates to the higher standards, and is currently the only UKAS accredited scheme operating in this area of animal activities’.

The Kennel Club said that the use of the words ‘higher standards’ is significant as it gives clarity to the fact that members of the Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme are considered to be low risk.

Defra also provides further clarification regarding the £1,000 trading income licensing exemption, which had caused confusion among all parties. Many believed this was a threshold for which anyone exceeding it would need a licence to breed dogs.

The note clarifies that the “£1,000 trading income as referred to in the guidance documents should be used as an indicator and not a ceiling as someone with over £1,000 trading income may not be a commercial dog breeder or pet seller and they may not be making a profit”.

Welcoming the updated guidance, Kennel Club secretary Caroline Kisko said: “This is very good news for the Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme as it means that Defra recognises the fact that ABS members have signed up to meet specific standards of animal welfare, which in most cases go way beyond those required of local authorities.

“We also warmly welcome the clarification on the so-called trading income exemption, which has caused significant confusion for many breeders and local authorities alike.

“The law regulating breeders is an issue on which the Kennel Club has been lobbying the Government for a number of years, so to now see this clarification is very encouraging indeed as it shows that the Kennel Club is being heard by Government on matters involving dog breeders.”

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.