New laws on selling puppies.

RE: New laws on selling puppies.

Utlendigur — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 23:02:50 GMT

From the BBC article

"Ms Leadsom said: "Everyone who owns a pet or is looking to introduce one into their life will want to know that the animal has had the very best start to life."

[quote user="Julie Innes"] I gave them a lonog spiel about responsible breeders etc, and sent them away with the number of a half-decent breeder and the kennel club number. 2 weeks later they are back...with the puppy bought online, because "it was cheaper" [/quote]

[quote user="Linda Filshie"] "I don't care - it was £300 cheaper"[/quote]

Ms Leadsom seems to have the strange idea that people THINK before buying a pet

It's a start and may inconvenience a few puppy farms, in this country (although I'm not holding my breath), but will do nothing to stop the hoards being commercially imported on the PETS scheme unless the port authorities start checking properly and impounding any obviously commercial imports. Nor will it stop all the casual breeders seeing their pet as a bit of extra income, something that seems to have taken off since the economic crash and/or the dawn of the designer crossbred.

What about licencing dog owners, with a compulsory waiting/cooling-off period after the licence is granted, before you can go out and buy a dog, maybe some conditions eg males under 25years old can only own a fluffy handbag dog, and an extension of the licence needed to breed/sell any puppies which would remove the need to count litters.

RE: New laws on selling puppies.

Joyce Whitehead — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 20:44:00 GMT

The policing of it is exactly my concern. Of course the kennel club could enforce some pedigree breeders by notifying authorities of more than 3 litters being registered to one address (although being the toothless organisation they seem to be I doubt very much that they will). But that won't help with the non registered ones, or the cockerpoos, labradoodles etc etc.

RE: New laws on selling puppies.

Charlie Lyon — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 19:07:00 GMT

While I appreciate the efforts being made to tighten controls on breeding we are finding that even the microchipping laws are being ignored by many people in our area. So many pups being presented for first vacs with no chip so how are they going to enforce number of litters?

RE: New laws on selling puppies.

Rob Davis — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 16:44:24 GMT

"Anyone breeding and selling three or more litters of puppies a year will have to apply for a formal licence."

How on earth will this be policed, and by whom?

RE: New laws on selling puppies.

Linda Filshie — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 16:30:39 GMT

I had a pug pup presented for vacs - Bulgarian import, not the best looking specimen etc. Mentioned to new owner the grim realities of the international puppy trade. Her response, similar to above, was "I don't care - it was £300 cheaper". There is a lamentable section of society for whom animals seem to be merely a commodity and not sentient beings capable of suffering.

RE: New laws on selling puppies.

Bob Russell — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 16:22:50 GMT

Probably delivered to the door free of charge. Just like Amazon Prime!

RE: New laws on selling puppies.

Julie Innes — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 15:59:56 GMT

I suppose it's a start. I'm pleased to see the BBC etc trying to raise public awareness of what goes on behind the scenes. We really need to educate the public about responsible puppy buying, but sometimes it feels like banging head off a brick wall. A client told me a few monoths ago they were thinking of buying a bulldog puppy they had seen on gumtree. I gave them a lonog spiel about responsible breeders etc, and sent them away with the number of a half-decent breeder and the kennel club number. 2 weeks later they are back...with the puppy bought online, because "it was cheaper"