link
:(

What can you say? What a task, to try to sort that lot.
:( :(

Gutted.  And Norman's gone into a depression about his fellow short legged friends.  :( :(

Sad. Very, very sad.

     Karen

I'm glad you are bringing this to people's attention that are/were ignorant - like me for instance.  Before I got my dog and started reading up on pedigrees and breeding and all such stuff I hadn't a clue (I'm not breeding but I'm interested in the why's and wherefores).  I didn't buy a pup but if I had, would I have known about puppy farming??  The answer is no.  If Copper hadn't appeared I would probably have gone to the cat and dog home and took the most suitable or most needy.  But because he did appear in my life I've made a point of finding out about pedigrees as opposed to loveable mutts.  I have learned so much because of this site and I urge you to keep up the good work because I can't be the only one new to this.

CG.

I agree with that. What do people think would be most effective for those new to dogs? I only started visiting sites/looking at Dogs Today when I got a dog, although programmes like Watchdog had given me an inkling. Its so sad thinking some will learn through the bitter experience of seeing a loved pup sicken/ die.

There should be campaigns at least - even if they cant actually name people - they can make people aware of the signs of puppy farming :(

My local Library has asked me to write a leaflet on choosing a breed and buying a dog - how to avoid puppy farms etc. and how to get in contact with breeders of healthy puppies.  Apparently one of the first places many people try to find information on buying a pup is the library.  Perhaps if we all contacted our local library we would find that there is indeed a way of getting the message across that there are alternatives to puppy farms and what goes on in them.

Does anyone know of a leaflet I could use as inspirational material??  I want to keep it to an A4 format but get as much info as possible into it.

Dill

I wrote an article for the local paper on this subject a while back.  If you email me I'll send you a copy.
Sally

I agree. The only way to keep animals out of rescue homes and being destroyed is to stop them being produced in the first place. That means educating as many people as possible to the full implications (dogs suffering, substandard and diseased pups, overproduction leading to rehoming or worse. and so on)

I've been aware of puppy farming for ages, especially in Wales, but I've only just found out that the Welsh Assembly has given  (and may be still, I haven't managed to find out yet) grants to farmers to diversify, including puppy farming, through it's Farming Connect scheme. :( That's appalling.

Maybe producing posters/leaflets of all the facts and distributing them would help. Also writing to your M.P. to register your concern. To find out who your local M.P. is (and fax for free)...

http://www.faxyourmp.com/   Read the Q and A's for helpful info first. :)

Kath.

Edit. Just seen your post about leaflets Dill, great minds think alike! :D    Library....brilliant. :)

This has been going on for some time Kath. It was back in the 70's if my memory serves me correct that I first heard of Welsh farmes being given a grant to farm dogs. Of course, puppy farming went on years before that. It was in the early 60's that we were trying to get a local puppy farm closed down. They were keeping dogs in kennels made from old 45 gallon oil barrels. One end knocked out and a length of chicken wire to close it. The kennel was closed for about 3 weeks before it was reopened under a new name. We were told that it was now OK because they were using better kennels!

I get so annoyed about puppy farming as you know from another site. We have the organisations with the money and the clout to stamp it out or at least make large inroads into it but they do nothing! OK, So I know the risks of the organisations getting sued for "Restriction of trade" but I would have thought with all the money we pay them they could do something.

My thoughts on the Irish problem is that if no one will take these puppies the problem in Ireland would get so great that the powers would be forced to get up off of their backsides and start to take on the responsibilities which we pay them for. The alternative is, ship the puppies out of Ireland and the ease the problem that way. Unfortunatly all that would do is to allow the puppy farms to continue flooding the country with dogs.

Best wishes, John

It was your mention of the NFU on the other forum that got me searching for info John, and of course I stumbled across the W.A. I haven't got as far as the NFU yet!

Kath.

We are out there active and not asleap!

http://mysite.freeserve.com/puppy_alert/index.htm

plus links to other sites that campaign against puppy farming and pet shops

Thanks for the links Pat. :) I've been on a few of them already (I got the MP fax info from Hope-UK) :)

http://www.puppywatch.org.uk/  has leaflets available.

BBC news yesterday, Irish puppy farm shut down..... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/3467041.stm

Kath.

My Hovis is on the Hope-uk site.  'Saved from a puppy farm'  before and after pictures.  http://hope-uk.tripod.com/saved%20from%20puppy%20farm.htm

Sally

He's beautiful :D

The difference in him is amazing, Sally, he's a real credit to you. :)

Kath.

Thank you Kath & Lel.  I am chuffed with his progress.  He was a classic case of 'learned helplessness' when we took him on.  Just sat in a corner and stayed there.  Had to be carried outside to the toilet and would just go where you put him down.  He goes swimming to build up his wasted muscles and is now physically sound, will run with the other dogs and play with a ball as long as no other person is about.  Mentally, he'll never recover.  He is a complete basket case :) but I love him and we are inseperable.

Sally

and its nice that there are people such as you to look after dogs like this :)

How can anyone fail to read these and not be upset :(

Everyone should know about puppyfarms . All these people who say i bought a puppy from blahblah and I didnt realise . :( We need hardhitting campaigns out there to ensure everyone knows about them.
For every puppy bought there will be another litter to follow . :(

I think the campaigners are there Lel, as Pat says, but I must say I've only come across them because I've been actively looking. I think the message needs to get right into peoples everyday lives more, to get to the ones who don't even know there *is* an issue.  I've never seen any leaflets anywhere about puppy farming. I've just enquired about getting some so hopefully I can help, if only in a small way. :)

Kath.

I agree there are lots of people doing a good job out there but Joe public needs more knowledge . he need to see the horrible photos, the state of the dogs , the conditions they live in .
Newspapers and television should be doing more to help - but then again so should the Government by clamping down and having better legislation and getting the courts to recognise it as a bad offence .
not giving puppy framers in wales grants :(