When the KC sent out their letters last January with the alterations to the Assured Breeder scheme I let my membership lapse, I didn't think the scheme was for me....I only breed occasionally and thought I'd still do the same health tests and breed with good ethics with or without membership.

I have a litter at the moment and when I registered them I regressed and paid my membership to the ABS, I wanted to show prospective new owners I was doing everything 'properly' as most of my litter will go to pet homes, like most breeders puppies do.

My disappointment isn't with the scheme, I know not everyone on it is ethical and there are numerous ways to cheat the system, but it's with the enquiries I've had.

Out of 24 enquiries only 4 have said they know anything about the scheme at all.....it's disappointing....

And how many more people just wake up one morning and go visit their local Pet Shop to buy a puppy, or buy into all this mix-breeding.   I don't find it at all surprising most people who decide to buy a puppy, don't know about this Scheme to be honest.   At least the 24 contacted you, a breeder of purebred puppies!   That's 24 more than most, I'd suggest!!

You are right about this Scheme being abused.   We went to see a litter of another breed to the one I'd had/bred/shown/judged for years, switching breeds at one point.   We knew nothing about the people but she was on the phone when we arrived, telling somebody she was a member of the ABS.   I knew she wasn't!!!    We didn't buy but not for that reason - I have never had a puppy handed to me that I honestly didn't know how to touch it was so filthy.

I lapsed my membership when it expired in May.

I notice there are fewer ABS members listed in my breed (less than half a dozen now) as others feel like me that it's not for them, and are lapsing their memberships.

Most of my puppy enquiries come via my own website of the breed club.  Also in a numerically small breed whether your details appear at the top of the puppy list or bottom is irrelevant as there are so few litters bred anyway so anyone checking with KC Puppy list would contact you anyway.

I can see in popular breeds, especially for a new/occasional breeder who does everything right that being near the top of the list could be important.

I think it is very breed specific. I get a LOT more enquiries via the ABS than from anywhere else, and of a much higher quality. People are more clued up. Also very importantly, I get a fair amount of genera calls along the lines of "I need some advice on whether to get this breed or not" or "I have this breed and need some help or advice" and as a responsible breeder, I see helping out as one very important part of being a breeder. Even if the help means the end result is the person NOT getting my breed as they realise it is not for them.