Policing the Scheme

Recent consultation with breed clubs has highlighted a lack of awareness of policing measures used in connection with the Accredited Breeder Scheme.  The Scheme is policed by the Kennel Club in the following ways:

Prior to acceptance

Applicants’ Kennel Club records are checked.

Acceptance of Membership

All applications will be fully considered.  Further information may be required so that the Kennel Club is satisfied the breeder is fully capable of meeting the requirements of the scheme.

An application may be subject to Committee approval by its Review Panel.

The Kennel Club reserves the right to refuse an application.

Any breeder subject to KC disciplinary penalties under Rule A42/43 will not be eligible for Accredited Breeder Scheme membership.

After acceptance

Names of new members are published in the Kennel Gazette and effectively ‘policed’ by breed clubs who report names that are, in their opinion, inappropriate candidates to us.  If this happens then the Kennel Club investigates carefully.

When Accredited Breeders register a litter

Every time an Accredited Breeder registers a litter, the sire and dam of that litter are checked for compulsory permanent identification (microchip, tattoo or DNA profile are currently acceptable).  In addition, both sire and dam are checked for compulsory health screening scheme results that are relevant to their breed.  All the usual Kennel Club rules and regulations must be complied with.

When Accredited Breeders sell their puppies

Accredited Breeders are required to use ABS puppy sales wallets for every puppy that they sell.  Included in these wallets is a feedback form that the new owner is requested to return directly to the Kennel Club.  There are questions on this form that inform us about the Accredited Breeder’s compliance with aspects of the Scheme that we are not able to police in any other way, for example whether the breeder provided advice on training, feeding, socialisation etc.

Feedback forms come back to the Kennel Club every day, and almost without exception are complimentary about the breeder concerned.  Where any problems are mentioned, these are taken up with the breeder.

Litters and numbers of puppies registered by Accredited Breeders are monitored and compared with orders for additional puppy sales wallets.  If Accredited Breeders do not seem to be purchasing adequate supplies of wallets, they are contacted regarding this matter.  The Kennel Club has the facility for further investigation, as upon joining the Scheme all Accredited Breeders sign a declaration as follows:

“I have read and understood the requirements of being an Accredited Breeder and I undertake to comply with them and hereby apply to be a Kennel Club Accredited Breeder.  I will provide the Kennel Club upon request with the opportunity to review my compliance procedures and to investigate any anomalies or complaints.  I accept that in the event of non-compliance, my name may be removed from the list of Accredited Breeders and I will no longer be entitled to use the Scheme literature or accreditation”.  This ensures that the Kennel Club can investigate any complaints thoroughly.

Breeder Adviser Visits

The breeder agrees that the Kennel Club may visit facilities upon giving reasonable notice.

If there are issues of concern arising from a visit and it is considered that the facilities fall short of the standards expected for an Accredited Breeder then this may result in the breeder being removed form the scheme.

Full details of what is involved and expected of an Accredited Breeder for a Breeder Adviser visit are available on request.

What happens if they breach any of the Scheme requirements?

• Temporary Suspension - at any time during the investigation of a complaint a breeder may be suspended from using or operating under the scheme pending the conclusion of such an investigation.  During such suspension, puppies must not be sold under the scheme.
• Grievance Procedure - there is a grievance procedure which will be followed in the case of a complaint by a purchaser of a puppy under the scheme.  A copy of the Grievance Procedure is available on request.

There has been some misunderstanding about the Scheme expressed in the canine press so it must be stressed that the Accredited Breeder Scheme is not any of the following:

• A Scheme designed to set certain breeders apart as elite:
  The Kennel Club recognises that there are some breeders who already offer their puppy buyers a service equal to or beyond the terms of the Scheme and who, for whatever reason, choose not to belong to it.  For example, an established breeder who has a long list of people waiting for their puppies may not feel the need to advertise.
• A Scheme which only accepts established breeders
  The Accredited Breeder Scheme is very much about what breeders agree to do once they have joined, so, while the Kennel Club naturally wants established breeders to join, equally it feels that newer breeders should be encouraged to do all the right things and be recognised for doing so.
• A Scheme designed to make lots of money for the Kennel Club
  The cost to the Kennel Club of producing and sending out a member’s starter pack, for example, absorbs most of the £15 joining fee.
• A Scheme which recognises only breeders who have won lots of awards with their dogs
  The Accredited Breeder Scheme is concerned less with the points looked for in the show ring than it is with the production of healthy, well-adjusted puppies for the puppy-buying public.  Where breeders can achieve both, it is a bonus!

How do we know that the people on the Accredited Breeder Scheme are actually doing what the scheme says they do?

The Kennel Club takes compliance with the scheme’s requirements very seriously and has a robust system in place to ensure that members follow the standards set by the scheme. In addition to checking all applicants’ records prior to acceptance on the scheme - and to checking the health screening records required for a member’s breed - all members also agree to be spot checked by the Kennel Club throughout their membership of the scheme, in order to ensure our standards are maintained.

Additionally, the Kennel Club encourages feedback from the dog-owning community and future members’ names are published in the monthly Kennel Club publication, the Kennel Gazette, to enable breed clubs to comment on names that they believe to be inappropriate. Similarly, all new puppy buyers are given feedback forms by Accredited Breeders that they return to us and if this does not happen then we look into the reason why. The Kennel Club receives hundreds of feedback forms from new puppy buyers each month; most of the feedback is positively glowing. However, if any complaints are made the Kennel Club investigates fully and takes the appropriate action which might include removal from the scheme.

How does the Kennel Club check the properties of KCABs and how does the Kennel Club envisage this system working in the future, as the scheme grows in size?

The Accredited Breeder Accolades give buyers information about where the breeders’ priorities lie. For example the ‘Stud Book Accolade’ indicates that the breeder has enjoyed some show ring success and is clearly breeding dogs that have a level of quality and are typical of the breed. Additionally, every Accredited Breeder is required to complete a ‘Statement of Experience’ which is made available to people requesting information. This provides an ideal opportunity to inform the public about additional health tests that they carry out and indeed any other information about themselves which is relevant and which would help a potential puppy buyer find the right breeder.

Upon joining the scheme every member of the Accredited Breeder Scheme agrees to allow a breeder advisor access to visit their premises. It is clearly important that we prioritise certain visits and our initial focus has been on those who are breeding on a more frequent basis. Occasionally we have complaints about an Accredited Breeder and we ensure that these too are dealt with as a matter of urgency. However, we also arrange randomly selected visits to ensure that good practices as outlined in the scheme are followed. So far more than 300 breeders that did not fully comply with the scheme’s requirements have been removed.

The Kennel Club has recently recruited 11 new Regional Breeder Advisors to join the team who conduct these visits, to ensure that we can get around to every breeder that is a member of our scheme.

In addition to breeder advisor visits, we ask all puppy buyers to send back the feedback form that all Accredited Breeders give out at the point of sale and if we don’t receive that feedback we check up on the breeder.  The Kennel Club receives hundreds of feedback forms from new puppy buyers each month.

A local breeder is claiming that they are an Accredited Breeder and appears to not be fulfilling the requirements of the ABS. What can be done about it?

A written complaint should be made. As soon as the Kennel Club receives a written complaint about somebody on our scheme, or someone claiming to be an Accredited Breeder who is suspected not to be, we can take action. That person is thoroughly investigated and appropriate action is taken, which may include their removal from the scheme.

Date page created:

Categories:

Responsible Dog Breeding 

This article has been read 15003 times.