Good Breeders, Bad Breeders

I know there are plenty of good breeders. People who breed small quantities of pups and ensure that their new owners of thoroughly vetted. These breeders will even offer to take back an unwanted dog if it proves necessary.

Unfortunately as many of our local newspapers will testify the country is full of those people who should be called breeders. They are puppy farmers - and they do so not just in the farms across England and Wales but in council and privately rented houses up and down the country. Many of our towns and cities will have those individuals who see a dog solely as a money. They are not interested in breed standard, temperament, disease, socialising, etc. Only money.

We have had two dogs come in from an individual who claimed all manner of personal hardship. The violins were in full flow. We were new and fresh to this and bought the pathetic tale. The two dogs are beautiful but exhausted. They are in retirement now and await their loving new home knowing that their days of puppy-machines are over. This individual, who was so poor, broken and depressed took little more than 2 weeks before getting their next two puppies. Staffies of course. Money has to be made you see.

Only a properly regulated, and punishable system of breeding can stop this. There is neither the will nor the time to do so. The Animal Welfare Act is already proving ineffective despite its fanfare. A simple dog license is not the answer. Any legislation is only as good as its enforcement. If no one enforces the law gets broken.