Surely "kc registered" should mean mandatory health checks?

[VioletHunter]

I'm a member of my local pets for sale group on fb (really so I can promote the local rescue) and there are always loads of ads for pedigree pups - often breeds with a lot of health probs (cavaliers etc). Invariably they are listed as "KC reg" but there's rarely any mention of health checks as these are bybs. Yesterday a litter of kc registered gsds was posted, so I asked if the parents had had hip/eye checks done. The response was "no but they are good stock and I have never had any problems in 25 years of breeding my dogs" (she doesn't own the stud, btw). I can't believe the KC doesn't make basic health testing mandatory before pups can be registered. Is this something we can campaign for?

Also, is it worth me posting a message to the group reminding people that if they are thinking of getting a pedigree pup they should research what health testing is required for the breed and only visit breeders who do those checks? It'll probably get me banned from the group though!!

You just pay a membership to the KC and promise to follow their guidelines ...they don't check.

The breed we have, there is a breeder who is still breeding from dogs that produced a litter where at least half have developed epilepsy (bad enough for them to die - these dogs are still young).....so KC does not mean anything.....you can't rely on that as being a sign of a reputable breeder.

VioletHunter..... Totally agree with you I am a Bulldog fan and the amount of people that buy them to breed just for money is unbelievable no testing or anything. The only thing the KC have done is you can no longer register your bulldog puppies if the mum is on her third C- section. But they don't make any health testing mandatory.

It just makes me so irate that these irresponsible breeders proudly state "KC registered" as if that is some badge of quality, and that the gullible public have no idea it means nothing in terms of quality of pup. KC registered should mean you have to show your health testing certs to the KC before they will allow you to register your litter. If they were serious about driving out health conditions from pedigree dog breeds they'd do it.

Tillypo, has that KC policy resulted in more bitches being abandoned once they are beyond their 'usefulness'? Sounds like a very ill-conceived policy. If people are already buying dogs just to breed, they will have no qualms about dumping the ones that are no longer bringing in the £££s.

Violet, you are absolutely right. 'KC registered' is a red herring and if no dog could be gain KC registration without proof of all the necessary health checks for their breed it would massively reduce so many of the welfare issues we have in this country.

Sadly, as the KC makes a great deal of money from the registration of litters it is unlikely to ever change.

In Germany, the pups were visited by an inspector of the breed group, and a report written. Copy given to breeder and the other sent to their KC. Without it no pedigree papers would be issued. Not only were the pups inspected but the conditions in which they were raised.

Moosemama..... Unfortunatley the answer is yes the amount of bulldog bitches abandoned after breeding is disgusting. A lady( term used losely) on our estate breed her bully at 1 year old and as soon as all the pups were sold came to me to see if I would buy her. Bought her for £750 only because I didn't want her to go to the next set of money grabbers. I don't breed my bullys never have and never would some people just don't have any morals anymore.

digerd, that sounds like a much better system - but of course it would cost the KC to pay inspectors, which would reduce their profits - so the KC would never go for it.

Tilly, that's awful - and I guess she's pretty likely to do exactly the same thing again when she next wants to make some cash.

The breeder had to pay the inspector , but was not extortionate.

Yes mamamoose she does at the moment she has a Newfounland that she is waiting to come into season so she can breed with it. She has just sold a Bichon after all the pups were sold. She is like a puppy farm but because she only has a couple of bitches at a time and they are not mistreated nothing can be done. She breeds any dog she likes the look of and can make lots of money from the pups and then moves on to the next.

KC registered just means that the parents are both pedigree dogs - breeders can't be KC registered, only dogs.

A KC assured breeder is something else, they do have to health test and follow other guidelines and they are inspected and you can report them if they break the rules.

The kennel club are promoting the assured breeders system. This means that all dogs have to have the relevant testing for there breeds.

The breeders have to make sure the kc have the test results as they will not allow the pups to be registered untill they are.
We as breeders also do "extra" testing on all our dogs and puppies. On the kc website there is also a lift of what each bred should be tested for. Pepole just need to be more educated where they are finding puppies from.

... and the KC should drop all but the assured breeders scheme, then have tighter restrictions and checks in place ensuring it's properly adhered to. If that were the case, only healthy puppies who have had all their health checks etc and are bred by dedicated breeders would be able to be KC registered.

If the KC were really dedicated to improving the situation with poor backyard breeding in the UK, they wouldn't register their litters.