Dogsey

THE KENNEL Club has produced a film to show puppy buyers the perils of buying from a disreputable source and to guide them to responsible breeders.

And it is calling on breeders to help clamp down on the puppy farming trade by sharing and liking the videos on social media to encourage the public to buy from reputable sources or a rescue centre.

The film has been released to coincide with the KC’s annual Puppy Awareness Week, which runs for seven days from Monday and aims to show people how to buy ‘healthy and happy’ puppies while raising awareness about the plight of overbred bitches and puppies born in puppy farms.

It will also link with a Parliamentary debate in the Main Chamber of the House of Commons on September 4, the first of its kind to discuss puppy farming and responsible breeding. Parliamentary time was granted after an e-petition launched by PupAid, the community interest company pushing to ban the sale of puppies and kittens without their mother being present, such as in puppy farm, pet shops, garden centres and ‘puppy supermarkets’.

The KC believes that as many as one in four people are buying puppies online, through social media, from pet shops or free newspaper ads – outlets often used by puppy farmers.

"This is a growing problem,” said KC secretary Caroline Kisko. "The majority fail to see the puppy with its mother or in its breeding environment, and very few receive a puppy contract or relevant health certificates for the puppy’s parents, which indicate the likely health of the pup.

"The film, made in conjunction with Marc, shows the consequences of buying a puppy-farmed pup, which can include costly treatment for parvovirus, worms, gastro-enteritis, kennel cough and pneumonia, and what a puppy buyer should expect to see when buying from a responsible KC Assured Breeder.”

The KC has also provided an animated film with graphics showing the ‘dos and don’ts’ of buying a puppy, to help the public distinguish the good from the bad.

"We need to raise awareness among puppy buyers about the importance of not buying from rogue dealers, who are making money at the expense of their dogs’ welfare,” Mrs Kisko said.