Thanks Dotty - I'll take a look

There are two other sites related to campaigning against puppy farming http://mysite.freeserve.com/puppy-alert/index.htm
and on this site is a link to Puppywatch too.
On the first site you will find a banner with the wording a 'Backward Step' this relates to the Welsh Assembly and farming connect regarding puppy farming and grants for dog breeding. This info was given a few weeks in the same format as on the site by letter to both Dog World and Our Dogs, Dog World chose not to print the letter and information and Our Dogs passed it on to their journalist in Wales Robert Kilick, who took up the issue but did make reference to the fact that he had been supplied the information but did not say by whom.
The letter from Tim Cosgrove is a standard letter he is sending out to everyone. What no one has failed to mention that this is in fact not diversification (a new enterprise) as you will read in Tim Cosgroves letter that both farmers that have been given grants are already involved in dog breeding, we can presume what type of dog breeding this is.
Please write or send email to Tim Cosgrove and as many other people and organisations you can think of this must not be allowed to continue.
I would be interested to hear of your continued comments on this issue and will try to set a petition up details to follow

Hi Pat, tried that link but it said that the address was wrong. Please email me directly (caldecacre@aol.com) or re post the address, so that we can support the other sites. The more people working towards the same goal the better :)

Hi Lucy,
Have just emailed Countryfile too.

There is an online petition being set up - as soon as I have further details I'll post them. In the meantime those of you who still have copies of last weeks "Our Dogs" could photocopy Killick's article and hand out to all your friends/dog walkers that you meet - attach to trees in your local park, post in your vets surgery, local library, pet shop asking for people to respond to the email address provided. Continue to tell absolutely everyone you can think of who might just possibly be interested - both here and overseas - Wales is dependant on the tourist industry - it's our largest employeer. Those of you at dog shows this week make sure you take copies of the article with you - lets get the b@@@@@d's and stop it now. Perhaps we can put enough wind up them to force council's and vets to police these places properly and perhaps this can be used as a starting point to educate the public on whom they should buy pups from and who not. We've got a chance to stamp down hard on this and we must. The RSPCA announced last night that they are closing down in North Wales - they closed down here in Cardiff a couple of months ago - Do we want wales to be a part of the solution or a part of the problem?

Hi Just emailed WAG, they are a great group and I know will know the best way to help with this.

my god, have just read through this post. I could cry. How awful. Shall email now.

Hi, WAG are apparently already helping us with this campaign - sorry must have missed that in one of the posts.

It is exactly the same reply that a young 17 year old friend YKC member got when she voiced her outrage at these plans. Just a stock letter.

Has anyone lobbied the Kennel Club to put the Pedigree dog side against looking on dog breeding as supplying a market, rather than safeguarding and improving Dogs????

I have just emailed the followign (pinched it off Doglistener's post - I am sure he won't mind) to the Head of Current Affairs Programmes of ITV:

Steve

I hope you don't mind me contacting you directly.

I wonder if you would be interested in looking into the Welsh Assembly giving farmer's grants to build kennels and runs to help them economically after Foot & Mouth. A bit of background for you...

The Government were directly responsible for the first flush of puppy farming about 20/25 years ago. When they brought in the milk quota Dog breeding was suggested to farmers as they had more milk than they could use and were therefore advised to diversify.

Many went into ice cream/yoghurt/cheese etc but so many others started "Puppy Breeding" in every rural area of the UK but notably in Wales. Now it appears we are exacerbating the situation by offering grants to farmers to carry on this vile trade.

These operations generally sell on the pups at 4/5 weeks to shops or individuals who then sell them on to the unsuspecting public. Separating a pup at this crucial stage in the Canine and Neonatal cycle is nothing short of criminal and I find the dogs then grow up with serious behavioural problems that are extremely difficult to cure.

These Pups are nearly always full of worms, fleas,and lice and have serious vitamin deficiancies. coupled with stomach and bowel infections they are in a pitiful state. And the government is trying to promote this?

I have reproduced part of an article (with the owners permission) re this crucial time in a Puppies psychological growth. Please consider a programme on the effects of these puppy farm operations before the government and the Welsh assembly rubber stamps them. Especially as it flies in the face of everything the Government is about to implement with regard to breeding dogs in the UK!

0 to 7 Weeks
Neonatal, Transition, Awareness, and Canine Socialisation. Puppy is with mother and littermates. During this period, puppy learns about social interaction, play, and inhibiting aggression from mother and littermates. Puppies must stay with their mother and littermates during this critical period. Puppies learn the most important lesson in their lives--they learn to accept discipline.

Yours

I'll keep you posted :)

Firstly I would like to say that I'm not involved in this organisation at all - but directly cut and pasted from Dog Pages - the rescue forum.

please forward to all interested parties

The online petition has been set up by All Creatures Great and Small Animal Sanctuary, Gwent

Petition address is -

http://www.ethical-business.com/?sect=detail&pet=619

Over 12,000 healthy dogs are destroyed every year in the UK because they are strays or simply unwanted. To encourage the breeding of even more dogs by inexperienced farmers is morally corrupt.

Do not think that this scheme will only affect rescues and sanctuaries in Wales and that it is therefore of no consequence to those living elsewhere in the UK – because if it is deemed successful in Wales this year, then next year your Local Rural development Agency might introduce a similar scheme and your local rescue may also be additionally inundated with unwanted and potentially genetically defective dogs and puppies!

Please sign this petition and add your voice to ours for the benefit of the hundreds of potential brood bitches and stud dogs as well as the thousands of, as yet unborn, puppies – none of who can speak for themselves.

“Mankind has forgotten this truth, but you must not forget it. You remain responsible forever for what you have tamed” - Antoine de St. Exupery

Have signed the http://www.ethical-business.com/?sect=detail&pet=619
petiton and forwarded it to our flatcoats group.
Don't know how effective it is, but it must all help, mustn't it?

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

I confess to only just reading this post I will email as my Life is spent rescuing unwanted labradors and the big majority are from wales via places like Dogs r us etc...
where shal i start with my emails or am I better sending a letter

Both, Glenys!

Jo

Please lets try and keep this on the active topics list as long as possible - the petition had over a 100 signatures at about 6pm - lets really get the figures going over the weekend - please don't let this subject get lost

a hundred and sixty odd now

Just to highlight a point my husband noticed in Tim Cosgrave's letter

'Training in both these areas are provided through the training elements of Farming Connect and through a series of Development Centres and Demonstration Farms which highlight good practice in animal welfare and hygiene. '

Do the Government really have a Demonstration Farm for Dog Breeding???

(Huntingdon Life Sciences springs to mind)

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

235 this morning.

Lucy

Well I think that point just illustrates the stupidity of the whole exercise. As Killick says "Wales is full of Development Cenres fully au fait withe the genetics of Chinese Cresteds, Long-haired Weimaraaners etc etc" .... not to mention chocolate labs, westies etc. If anyone has not read the original article please email me rosefrancis@lineone.net - I don't have a scanner but I will get it scanned this weekend and will send copies to you.

Hi

Help use put a stop to this grant.

PETITION LINK http://www.ethical-business.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=619&page=4

Thank you for your support.

Gareth

Thread continued HERE