Dog Breeding Act: Part 3 Control of Breeding

Dog Breeding Act
Part 3
Control of Breeding

The next aspect of legislation is to ban the puppy farm, or any mass production puppy mills.

The level at which a breeder becomes a puppy farm is open to discussion, but I think any person or persons, or any property that breeds more than five litters a year (interestingly this is the current point a which someone is simply classed as a breeder) should be classed as in the mass production puppy farming business.

Legitimate breeders tell us they are not in the breeding business for the money, and therefore are not actually in any business at all. It is a hobby or pastime, an interest to them. Such comments should therefore confirm that they would not oppose a limit on the number of litters produced each year.

Any registered licensed breeder would therefore be limited to four litters a year (from a minimum of four bitches). Above this amount and the breeder is breaking the law. What penalties would apply have to be strong enough to punish those that break the law, and to deter those thinking of it.

By bringing the veterinary industry firmly in with the registering of pregnancies, births and chipping reduces avoidance of the legislation. The openness of the online register encourages responsible buying, and the ban on the advertising for unregistered breeders control those that can breed legitimately.

Therefore the penalty has to be in the form of cash and seizure of dogs and a ban on future dog ownership for a set period of time.