Kennel club becomes ukas accredited - good news?

[Oreo]

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Vital move to tackle puppy scam crisis - Kennel Club becomes UKAS Accredited

Kennel Club first and only organisation in the UK to get United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accreditation to certify dog breeders.

• As many as one in five could be buying from cruel puppy farms.
• Move recommended by Professor Bateson in his independent report into dog breeding.

Puppy buyers no longer need to be duped by rogue breeders, as the Kennel Club today announces that it is the only organisation in the UK to receive UKAS accreditation to certify breeders who belong to its Assured Breeder Scheme.

The puppy breeding market is poorly regulated, meaning that many people struggle to identify good from bad breeders, often ending up with sick puppies that die prematurely or that cost thousands of pounds in veterinary treatment.

UKAS accreditation means that the Kennel Club now has recognition from the UK’s foremost accreditation body to certify breeders, against the requirements of its Assured Breeder Scheme, and ensure that scheme members take all the necessary steps to breed quality, healthy puppies.

Accreditation by UKAS was recommended by Professor Sir Patrick Bateson, in the Independent Inquiry into Dog Breeding in January 2010, as an important step to give puppy buyers a clear indication of who they should trust, as there is too much confusion in the puppy buying market and too many rogue breeders. Since the report, the situation has got even worse with people taking advantage of the relaxation of pet travel laws, which makes it easier to bring sickly pups into the country from abroad.

Kennel Club research has shown that many consumers buy their puppies from pet shops, online and newspaper free ads, outlets that can all be used by puppy farmers who breed purely for profit without any thought for the outcome of the puppies that they produce. Many puppy farmers do not let buyers see their premises and sell through dealers, going to great lengths to hide the awful conditions that the puppies are kept in - and Kennel Club research indicates that as many as one in five people may have bought their puppy from a puppy farm[1].

Professor Steve Dean, Kennel Club Chairman, said: “For far too long, puppy buyers have had little assurance about the puppy they take home, and especially how it has been raised and whether it will live a healthy and happy life.

“The Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme was established in 2004 to help end this confusion, and is the only scheme in the UK that monitors breeders’ activities to provide assurance on their commitment to health and welfare. We had been working closely with UKAS prior to Professor Bateson recommending we seek UKAS accreditation, and are delighted that we have now been granted this, enabling us to certify breeders under this robust scheme.

“The message is clear. Puppy buyers who want to be sure that they are going to a breeder who offers a genuinely high standard of health and welfare in caring for their dogs should go to a Kennel Club Assured Breeder.”

Professor Sir Patrick Bateson commented: "My report into dog breeding in this country showed an urgent need for a robust accreditation scheme for breeders. The fact that the Kennel Club has now received UKAS recognition for its Assured Breeder Scheme is an important step forward and the buying public should be encouraged to purchase from these breeders, so as to put irresponsible breeders out of business."

Marc Abraham, TV vet and organiser of the annual Pup Aid event against puppy farming, said: “The number of puppies coming from puppy farms is growing at an alarming rate. The value of having an organisation such as the Kennel Club with independent accreditation to certify breeders should not be underestimated.

“I hope that all puppy buyers will stop buying from people that may be masquerading as good breeders, but who are not part of this scheme and that all responsible dog breeders sign up to the Assured Breeder Scheme so vets and vet nurses can direct prospective buyers towards them knowing they'll be choosing a happy, healthy puppy.”

The Kennel Club has been through numerous audits with UKAS and made a number of amendments to the scheme to achieve recognition by UKAS as a competent evaluator, which has met international accreditation standards.

In an important move that helps the Kennel Club to fulfil its UKAS requirements, every new member of the scheme will be inspected before they are accepted, and all current members will be inspected within three years. Random checks will continue as in the past, particularly where any concerns are highlighted or when issues have been raised through feedback from puppy buyers.

Other long-standing rules of the scheme which remain include ensuring that all animals are kept and raised in good conditions, both parents are assessed using the appropriate health and DNA tests before they are bred from, and ensuring that the puppies are well socialised before going to new homes.

Last month the Kennel Club announced a set of updated rules forming the ABS Standard, which contain all of the compulsory requirements of the scheme. These revised rules retained many of the long-standing requirements of the scheme, but the wording was modified to add clarity about the exact requirements for members to achieve[2].

The Kennel Club will shortly be announcing a plan to demonstrate the impact that UKAS accreditation will have. As a transitional arrangement, this will include a system for clearly identifying which breeders have been visited under the Kennel Club’s new accredited status. There will also be a plan for offering further incentives to Assured Breeders and for covering the inevitable costs of increased inspections.

Bill Lambert, Kennel Club Health and Breeder Services Manager, said: “Responsible dog breeders are passionate about producing puppies which live healthy, happy lives, and they fulfil all the expectations that responsible owners demand. But it is only Kennel Club Assured Breeders that are bound to this commitment by agreeing to mandatory health testing of their breeding animals, by opening their doors to allow inspection and by being committed to providing a service to puppy buyers throughout the life of the animal. Indeed many of our members go above and beyond the scheme’s requirements.

“The scheme has continually developed since its inception, which meant that the further changes we needed to make to achieve formal accreditation by UKAS were straightforward. The greatest change is still to come as we increase the number of breeder assessment visits that we carry out so that there can be no doubt that those on the scheme are continuing to adopt the standards that we expect.

“We again urge all responsible breeders to join the Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme, which is the simplest and easiest way for us all to work together and ensure that puppy buyers find a responsible breeder and are not duped by somebody who is less committed to breeding healthy dogs. The scheme does not make any money for the Kennel Club; we have in fact subsidised the costs of the scheme for many years, but running it is just another example of how the Kennel Club makes a difference for dogs.”

 

[lurcherman]

im only going to say a couple of things, everybody is in it to make money! and now will the breeders up their prices?

 

[Blue wrecking it]

Pedigree dogs are a money making racket!

And some breeds are a disgrace compared to the way they was in years gone by!!!

 

[lurcherman]

agreed.

 

[banana]

The Kennel Club is a business now... Its all about the money!

 

[banana]

I would just like to expand on my post for clarification.

I visited an 'accredited breeder' when I was on my search for a puppy and went to a lady to look at a cocker spaniel.

The woman lived in a two up two down and had at least 10 adults dogs running around and jumping up and 2 litters of puppies in her conservatory. She had rolls of white paper which she was using to line the bottom of the pens the puppies were in and the puppies were around 5 weeks old - the bottoms of the pens were covered in runny yellow poo. I had to take my son and put him in the car as he was terrified of the all the dogs running around with a pack mentality - jumping up and barking.

I took pictures of the puppy and the pens and on my return home, rang the Kennel Club to report the breeder and insisted on knowing what they would do to ensure she was not allowed to advertise as an accredited breeder as I had taken that as a recommendation of her status as a breeder. I was told there was nothing they could do.

The scheme is a paid for service breeders can sign up to, the checks are not robust and can be abused.

I do not condemn the KC for acting like a business as it is only that decision that has seen them survive the current climate, when you consider the cat equivalent which is still run by the clubs and elected members which is spiralling out of business. However - lets call a spade a spade, they need to put more money into it to ensure the breeders are visited when they have puppies, without being warned (spot checks).

My post in now way was directed at breeders, I have a dog from a KC breeder who shows Blaize's sister with great success and also Ripples who is a 'Jackapoo' a so called designer breed but to me a cross breed which I bought because I wanted to and was happy with the family she came from. She is as perfect as any other dog I have had which is from the KC - and in fact I have had more problems from dogs that were KC registered with genetic issues.

There is no guarantee with any puppy we buy, the buyer has to be responsible when checking out who they buy from - there will always be people ready to make a fast buck in any walk of life or 'business'.

 

[eingana]

Hang on a minute. If we DON'T have planned breeding of healthy, happy, well adjusted puppies which are a great example of their breed but are health tested so they don't have the genetic problems which blight so many breeds then we will ONLY have the rescues, the back yard bred puppies and the accidental puppies, and where would the dog world be in a decade or two from now?

We NEED responsible breeding of healthy puppies. All parent dogs should be health checked to exclude breed specific problems and other health issues, litters should have waiting lists of vetted owners so there are never puppies being bred and then found homes, and the responsibility is on those who breed to do their utmost to make sure that all puppies that result from their dogs are going to have long and happy lives with their forever homes. I also believe that all breeders should have a lifelong covenant with their owners so that they care for any pups that then need rehoming so that their pups never end up in rescue.

There are too many dogs in this country, but I don't agree that the answer is to stop responsible breeding. That won't stop the back yard breeders any more than the Dangerous Dogs Act stopped there from being pitbulls on the streets of the UK.

 

[Oreo]

There is a place for breeders. Breeders that care where there pups end up. Breeders that feed the correct food, breeders that only have there time spent on one litter at a time with one mother.

The problem for me isn't so much the back street breeder but more the general public.

For instance, an example: I have decided I want a dog of my own. I work full time, and the dog would be left on it's own for 12 hours a day, five days a week. I know deep down it's wrong but I am ignoring that to get what I want.

I could go to a resuce, where it would take a few weeks to go through and at the end of it will probably deem me not suitable.

I could go to a reputable breeder, who does health checks on parents, who wants to get to know me first and who has a waiting list of a year.

Or I could go to my local gumtree site and probably pick up a dog tonight, at half the cost of a puppy from the reputable breeder.

Which one is the majority going to choose?

We make it too easy and appealing to go Mr Bloggs back street breeder. Generally people who sign up here already know to go to a reputable breeder when buying a pup, those that don't probably either go to cut costs or cut time.

The only way around this is to closely police reputable breeders to make sure they're doing things right. Breeders must earn a right to breed. Make it illegal to breed a dog without a licence. Any pups from an unlienced litter are to be rehomed via a resuce.

Cut the back street breeders out, use the knowledge of the good breeders.

I know the above is an ideal world senario but we just cannot stop breeding full stop. It wouldn't work.

 

[Blue wrecking it]

The brand...KC.....

is flashing lights and £££££ signs in peoples eyes.

Dogs are being bre for money by the majority.

Bad examples of the breed are being poduced and subsiquently bred from.

Have a little look at the working dog world and take a step back from what you may know...

A lot of lurchers, non ped whippets etc are fine examples of the breed because they are bred for a purpose...to do their job....

The best gets bred to the best, improvements are made for coat, stamina, speed, strength, brains, gameness and temperment.... pups are sometimes...not always gifted to people for no profit and the breeder usually keeps a dog or 2.

Compare this to the 'KC' dogs, bred for looks and a bit of paper.

Kc...in my opinion is a virus...spreading illness through the dog world.....

I wouldnt entertain a kc dog again....the papers can lie....and do lie.

Wake up and smell the coffee.

Hang on a minute. If we DON'T have planned breeding of healthy, happy, well adjusted puppies which are a great example of their breed but are health tested so they don't have the genetic problems which blight so many breeds then we will ONLY have the rescues, the back yard bred puppies and the accidental puppies, and where would the dog world be in a decade or two from now?

We NEED responsible breeding of healthy puppies. All parent dogs should be health checked to exclude breed specific problems and other health issues, litters should have waiting lists of vetted owners so there are never puppies being bred and then found homes, and the responsibility is on those who breed to do their utmost to make sure that all puppies that result from their dogs are going to have long and happy lives with their forever homes. I also believe that all breeders should have a lifelong covenant with their owners so that they care for any pups that then need rehoming so that their pups never end up in rescue.

There are too many dogs in this country, but I don't agree that the answer is to stop responsible breeding. That won't stop the back yard breeders any more than the Dangerous Dogs Act stopped there from being pitbulls on the streets of the UK.

Only have the rescues....?

Half the dogs in the rescues will be a cross breed, a non ped...and will live a long and prosperous life without major illness.....

While pedigree dogs diminish with the inevitable problems associated with most breeds bred for looks....

The term....

BRED TO DEATH.....

Is apt.

Hang on a minute. If we DON'T have planned breeding of healthy, happy, well adjusted puppies which are a great example of their breed but are health tested so they don't have the genetic problems which blight so many breeds then we will ONLY have the rescues, the back yard bred puppies and the accidental puppies, and where would the dog world be in a decade or two from now?

We NEED responsible breeding of healthy puppies. All parent dogs should be health checked to exclude breed specific problems and other health issues, litters should have waiting lists of vetted owners so there are never puppies being bred and then found homes, and the responsibility is on those who breed to do their utmost to make sure that all puppies that result from their dogs are going to have long and happy lives with their forever homes. I also believe that all breeders should have a lifelong covenant with their owners so that they care for any pups that then need rehoming so that their pups never end up in rescue.

There are too many dogs in this country, but I don't agree that the answer is to stop responsible breeding. That won't stop the back yard breeders any more than the Dangerous Dogs Act stopped there from being pitbulls on the streets of the UK.

Only have the rescues....?

Half the dogs in the rescues will be a cross breed, a non ped...and will live a long and prosperous life without major illness.....

While pedigree dogs diminish with the inevitable problems associated with most breeds bred for looks....

The term....

BRED TO DEATH.....

Is apt.

 

[banana]

It would be sad to never see a pure bred puppy again...... there is a place for pedigree dogs but i would also miss seeing a scruffy old ruffer...

Its a shame a working solution cannot be found that favours the dogs... it shouldnt be about the Kennel Club or the breeders......

 

[Dizzyjenni]

It is sad that the breeders can't somehow be closely monitored... Bananas example is shocking, and I bet that lady has had a lot of people buying her puppies because they have assumed being KC registered means a good breeder and healthy pups.

This stat really shocked me!

As many as one in five could be buying from cruel puppy farms.