So then , what does constitute a puppy farm? In my local paper we regularly have a kennels in Ruskington advertising 19 breeds available ..including the (seemingly) ever elusive Chocolate Labrador.

Does anyone know the law concerning breeders and kennels?

Just curious

Melody

There is some law which states that if they breed from over a certain number of dogs they must register with council, but that’s only my understanding. I think its only a small number, your should council know.
As regards cruelty it comes under a 1911 or 1913 act, the wording is, 'Causing unnecessary suffering'.

Hi Melody
IMHO this would constitute a puppy farm. :(
I truly feel that most genuine breeders have only 1 or 2 breeds, usually in the same group, possibly 3.
19 breeds is a hell of a lot. How could they possibly know all they should know about each individual breed? I've got 1 main breed and a *pet* breed and I'm learning every day! :)
I think the law says that if you have 2 or more bitches which could be bred from means you have to be licenced, but I'm sure I read on the board a while ago that this is/has changed to producing over 5 litters per year as there was a lot of ambiguity about which bitches in a *kennel* were intended for breeding. So with 19 breeds I imagine they should be licenced and you can do no more than hope that the dogs are kept well.
Nicky

Now you see Nicky ..therein lies the problem ..I bet your bottom dollar that they dont ACTUALLY breed all 19 breeds ...I would surmise that they buy in the puppies from other sources .....which is why I was asking about puppy farms .....see what I mean?

Melody

Yes Melody, I do see what you mean.
So, in fact they are not only farming they are also dealing and should, I imagine, be registered somehow by local authorities.
Isn't it a shame Joe Public still go and buy pup's from these sources? If they could only be persuaded that anything worth having is worth waiting for then it would be easier to take away the *instant* puppy trade these awful dealers etc rely on. :(
Nicky

One way to find out who is churning out what (and there are some so called 'top breeders' out there from well known kennels churning out a few) is to insist that ALL puppies are permanently identified (by their preferred method) and registered in the name of the BREEDER before being transfered to the buyer. That way it doesn't matter which 'registry' they are registered with nor indeed those that aren't registered they are all accounted for.

Hi, the change in the act, about 2 years ago, means you now need alicence if you have 5 or more litters a year. (Was previously more than 2 breeding bitches) However, there is another clause which allows a Local Authority to deem any kennel commercial, even with less than 5 litters - dont think this has acutally been actioned anywhre, though. One of the major puppy farm problems is that many of them are realy puppy 'dealerships' as well, and should have pet shop licences too, but most local authorities dont have enough specialist knowledge/interest to look farther than relatively clean enviroments. The new act was meant to help stop selling pups away from the breeders premises, asking for pups to be identified, etc, I have noticed that some fairly obvious puppy farm type outlets now advertise that the pups are microchipped - how this is meant to help the poor pups god only knows, just one of those well meaning governement phrases which does nothing to stop the real puppy farmers!
Gwen

Hi Melody, as I requested in an earlier posting I would appreciate if you could email me please off line with the details of the person advertising 19 different breeds of puppies, as I collate details of peolple breeding excessively and those selling from a retail outlet.
In law there is no legal definition of a puppyfarmer. It is generally accepted that a puppy farmer is a person that breeds from his/her dogs excessivelly and sells the puppies to a third party. This could be abreeder that is licensed with the local council or a person that is operating unlicensed.
The one in Ruskington can be checked very quickly by making a call to the local council covering that area to ask if the have a breeders licence or pet shop if neither then the Council should be informed evidence gathered and persons that have purchased puppies from this place to contact both the local council environmental health department and trading standards.
The lates up to date legislation is covered in The Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999, Breeding of Dogs Act 1991 and the Pet Shop Licensing Act 1951/91.
Hope this is of some help.
Pat

sent you an email Pat as this place was discussed previously. I've sent a link
Sara :)

It was?

Must have missed that then

Melody