The Kennel Club has welcomed plans announced by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Committee to examine the Government’s policies on irresponsible dog ownership and welfare issues related to dog breeding.
 
The Efra Committee has launched an inquiry into whether the Government’s recently announced measures on tackling irresponsible dog ownership do enough to really tackle the problem, as well as looking into the response by the Government and dog breeders to Professor Bateson’s Independent Inquiry into Dog Breeding. This coincides with the release of a government Anti-Social Behaviour White Paper which includes proposals for tackling irresponsible dog ownership.
 
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Communications Director, said: “We welcome Efra’s consideration of the problem of dangerous dogs and the urgent need for new legislation, as well as the topics surrounding health and welfare of dogs bred for sale - both important issues that have huge implications for dog welfare.
 
“As the UK’s largest organisation dedicated to the health and welfare of dogs, the Kennel Club will be submitting evidence to the inquiry.”
 
The Committee is seeking evidence to determine whether the Government’s proposed methods of tackling irresponsible ownership and dangerous dogs is sufficient or whether a more fundamental overhaul of current legislation is needed.
 
Mrs Kisko continued: “The Kennel Club has long been campaigning for an overhaul of current dangerous dog law. Police resources should be freed from seizing particular dogs purely because they are a certain breed, and more time and effort should be spent on penalising the owners of any dog that shows early signs of aggression, in the form of Dog Control Notices. We hope that Efra will take this into account.
 
“We are glad that the government’s White Paper related to irresponsible dog ownership seems to recognise the importance of tackling irresponsible owners at the early stages of a problem emerging. We are also pleased that it recognises the importance of actions by community groups and charities and organisations, such as the Kennel Club, in helping to promote responsible dog ownership. This educational work is vital in ensuring that dog owners know the full extent of their responsibilities and we all have to work together in order to make a real difference.”
 
The Kennel Club has also welcomed Efra’s decision to examine the government’s actions following Professor Bateson’s Independent Inquiry into Dog Breeding in January 2010, which was jointly funded by the Kennel Club and Dogs Trust. Speaking about Efra’s consultation on dog breeding, Mrs Kisko added: “The Kennel Club is pleased that the committee will look at the serious issues related to dog breeding and we are continually campaigning for improvements that will protect the health and welfare of puppies and breeding bitches. We would like to see all breeders adhering to the standards followed by the 8,000 members of the Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme, who take steps such as giving their dogs the appropriate health screens for their breed, and providing a suitable breeding environment.
 
“Current legislation is not effective in stopping the worst excesses in the dog breeding world, and so we all have to come together to educate puppy buyers, so that they know where to find a responsible breeder. We run a Puppy Awareness Week in September to raise awareness of the horrors of puppy farming and the steps that should be taken to buy a puppy responsibly.”    
 
More information on the Assured Breeder Scheme can be found at www.thekennelclub.org.uk/assuredbreederscheme. The Kennel Club’s Puppy Awareness Week (PAW) will be held this year from 8th – 14th September. For more information on the Kennel Club’s campaign to stop puppy farming, visit www.thekennelclub.org.uk/stoppuppyfarming.
 
ENDS
22nd May 2012
[162.12]

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Notes to Editors
 
Last month the Kennel Club commended the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (Defra) plans to consult on the introduction of compulsory microchipping which will help to crack down on the owners of dangerous dogs, but also labelled it a missed opportunity to better protect the public by preventing dog attacks before they occur.
 
The Kennel Club has been lobbying for the introduction of Dog Control Notices as genuine preventative action which would allow authorities to take action against irresponsible dog owners at the first signs of their dogs displaying aggression, rather than waiting to deal with a dangerous dog incident as a reactive measure.
 
Dog Control Notices:
The vast majority of dog attacks are as a result of the irresponsible actions of dog owners, who have either not taken the time and trouble to train their dog correctly, or have indeed trained them to behave aggressively. Dog Control Notices will apply to all types of dog that have acted dangerously without provocation, caused an injury to another protected animal (as defined by the Animal Welfare Act 2006), caused harm, or caused a person to reasonably believe it will cause harm, and works to prevent serious incidents of aggression occurring by allowing preventative action.
 
The Kennel Club is the largest organisation in the UK devoted to dog health, welfare and training. Its objective is to ensure that dogs live healthy, happy lives with responsible owners.

It runs the country’s largest registration database for both pedigree and crossbreed dogs and the Petlog database, which is the UK’s largest reunification service for microchipped animals. The Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme is the only scheme in the UK that monitors and sets standards for breeders, in order to protect the welfare of puppies and breeding bitches. It also runs the UK’s largest dog training programme, the Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme and licenses shows and clubs across a wide range of activities, which help dog owners to bond and enjoy life with their dogs. The Kennel Club runs the world’s greatest dog show, Crufts, and the Discover Dogs event at Earls Court, London, which is a fun family day out that educates people about how to buy responsibly and care for their dog.

The Kennel Club invests the money that it makes from registrations and its Petlog identification database into its dog training and education programmes, welfare campaigns and the Kennel Club Charitable Trust, which supports dog welfare charities and research into dog diseases. The Kennel Club jointly runs health screening schemes with the British Veterinary Association and, through the Charitable Trust, funds the Kennel Club Genetics Centre at the Animal Health Trust, which is at the forefront of pioneering research into dog health.
 

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