Linda Thomson, previously of Satur Mill Donkey Sanctuary at Middlebie, is pleased that so far 1500 people have backed her petition on change.org.
Explaining why she started the petition, Linda, who owns ten golden retrievers, said: “The KC must define what they class as a puppy farmer?
“They must make it clear what they class as a puppy farmed dog and make a commitment that they will stop registering litters from them and to stop allowing those to advertise their litters on the KC website.
“If the KC was so intent on stamping out puppy farmers they would refuse to register their litters.
“It is time that the KC stood up and took action at grassroots level and stop taking money from the puppy farmers.”
Responding to the the online petition, Bill Lambert, senior health and welfare manager at KC, said: “The Kennel Club has measures in place to tackle puppy farming, including a requirement for breeders to produce a local authority breeding licence if they want to register five or more litters in a single year – these breeders are required by law to have a licence from their local authority.
“If they can’t provide this then their litters will not be registered with us.
“The majority of breeders, 94 per cent, who register with the Kennel Club only breed one or two litters per year.”
He added: “Whilst the Kennel Club ensures that all information about the pups it registers, including all health test results, are transparent and available to puppy buyers online to aid good buying decisions, the Kennel Club does not have the
remit or resources to check the properties of all breeders unless they are Kennel Club Assured Breeders; this responsibility lies with local authorities who issue licences by law.
“Anyone who has concerns about dog welfare should contact their local authority or RSPCA. The Ken- nel Club has a range of measures which it can take following a successful conviction.”
*To view the petition, visit: change.org and search for Linda Thomson
