Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Written evidence submitted by Amanda Roche

In response to the consultation I would like to comment on Dog Welfare and in particular dog breeding.

In reference to the welfare of pedigree dogs and the breeding thereof I would like to make a few comments that I wish the committee to consider.

1.All breeders, whether of pedigree or cross-breed dogs, should be required to keep complete records of whom they sold the pups to the amount.

2.All puppies should be micro-chipped and/or tattooed and registered with a national database—whether pedigree or cross-breed.

3.Limits should be imposed on the number of litters a particular dog can have and this should not be isolated to licensed breeders.

I believe that these measures will help put a stop to the unethical breeding or puppy farming of dogs and by imposing proper record keeping will enable recourse when investigating individuals involved in this activity.

A recent case of point was a story about Hungarian Vizsla puppies dumped and some washed up dead in a pumping station in Lincolnshire. As reported by the Lincolnshire Echo. Although the RSPCA and the council knew who the breeder was and he admitted to breeding these dogs, that by simply saying he had sold the puppies he was immediately beyond recourse of the law. Although if common sense prevailed, 10 puppies did not get dumped in pairs across three counties by a number of different “new” owners simultaneously. The dogs had been fed and were not underweight but the quality of their nutrition was clearly lacking. They were aged at seven months as they had adult teeth but skeletally they were four months old, some had medical conditions requiring operations. With a proper registration and database and encouraging the public to only purchase with the correct paperwork in place, then not only could there have been a prosecution against the breeder of these animals, Inland Revenue would also have proper records of the income this breeder has benefited from.

I hope the committee will take these recommendations under consideration and create robust legislation that will discourage volume breeding and protect the welfare of our four-legged friends be they pedigree or cross-breeds.

July 2012