Could you realitiscally keep all your puppies if you could not sell them?

This was the wise poser raised on our Facebook page a few days ago. The poster raises a valid and interesting point. Only today we had a 'breeder' ring to ask if we could take a puppy off him - the owner had returned it, and it was not getting on with his "bitch".

When people face very real social economic problems that result in the reluctant surrendering of their dog, they will take priority over a arrogant and selfish breeder who cannot accept responsibility for the problem he has caused.

We therefore would decline help in this case. In fact, the only circumstance where we would help is if we received a financial contribution and the bitch being neutered. With over 100,000 stray and unwanted dogs (Animal Madhouse, Channel 4, November 3 2010) in the UK at the moment, and as many 40% of them Staffordshire bull terriers there can be no corner given to the unscrupulous breeder whose sole intention is to make money.

[I stress unscrupulous because I do want to separate those that breed wisely and in limited numbers, who are responsible with those they sell their puppies to, and who willingly accept and attempt to rehome (themselves) those puppies that are returned, from those that have led the recent explosion in Staffordshire bull terriers.]

So what is the answer? It is difficult to see a way of reducing unnecessary or unwanted breeding without tough measures, back by legislation, penalties and a strict licensing regime.

Over the next few posts I will put forward my proposal to control breeding, to allow legitimate breeders to continue to operate and to hopefully inconvenience those others to the point that it no longer becomes a financially beneficial process.