The Kennel Club’s dog owners group KC Dog, established to help dog owners protect their rights, is calling on all dog owners in Ottery to speak out against draconian dog control orders proposed by East Devon District Council.

East Devon District Council’s proposals, put forward by Ottery Town Council, call for dogs to be excluded and kept on leads in a number of areas across East Devon, but most notably in Ottery St Mary.

The council is now formally consulting on the following proposed orders in Ottery St Mary:

Dog fouling – covering all public land.
Dogs on leads by direction – covering all public land.
No. of dogs – restricted to 6 dogs walked by any one person.
Dog exclusion - from Winters Lane playing field and school playgrounds.
Dogs on leads - owners will be required to keep their dogs on leads at all times of the year in the Land of Canaan.
Introducing dog control orders in which dogs would be excluded or kept on leads in parks and open green spaces could have serious implications for animal welfare. Many dogs require vigorous exercise and their health, weight, and behaviour could be compromised if they are not able to exercise off lead. This is also contrary to the principles of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which places a legal obligation on owners to properly exercise their dogs.

Restricting access will also affect owners with mobility issues, for example the elderly or disabled, either making it impossible for such owners to walk their dogs off the lead or by forcing them to travel to neighbouring areas.

KC Dog has been working with local campaign group, Ottery Dogs, to promote responsible dog ownership and fight against the proposals. From information gained under the Freedom of Information Act it is unclear what evidence or reasons have led to the proposed orders.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “The Kennel Club is concerned as Defra’s guidance on the Act states that authorities considering dog control orders must be able to show them to be a necessary and proportionate response to problems caused by the activities of dogs and those in charge of them. They must balance the interests of those in charge of dogs against the interests of those affected by the activities of dogs. There seems to be little evidence of this.

“Now is the most effective time for dog walkers to make their views known. We would therefore urge all responsible dog owners in the local area to respond to the consultation in order to ensure the best possible result for all concerned.”

The formal consultation period ends on 23rd January. KC Dog recommends all dog owners visit the council website at http://www.eastdevon.gov.uk/dog_wardens to see the exact areas proposed for exclusion and how the orders could affect them. People without access to the internet can contact Mrs R Wright, Environment Protection, Communities Directorate, East Devon District Council, Knowle, Sidmouth, EX10 8HL or phone 01395 517456.

KC Dog is an information network, free to join, whose members benefit from up-to-date news on dog control orders, and receive guidance from the Kennel Club. All dog owners are urged to join KC Dog, and be a part of this reciprocal network by acting as our eyes and ears.

The Kennel Club would like to clarify the eligibility of a dog to compete having missed a class (or classes) at a show.

If a dog misses a class(es) it may continue to compete in all subsequent classes for which it was entered. If in any of these classes the dog becomes eligible to challenge for any other prizes or awards at the show it must be allowed to challenge for these awards. A dog cannot be ‘disqualified’ from competing in classes for which it was legitimately entered.

Where a dog misses a class(es) a post show report must be forwarded to the Kennel Club and the Kennel Club will then investigate the reasons for missing the class(es). This information will then be considered by the General Committee and if the reasons given were not acceptable it is likely that any awards gained at the show will be disqualified, notice of which will appear in the Kennel Gazette. Those dogs which were beaten by the disqualified dog will then move up the order of merit.

The awarding of Challenge Certificates and other award cards is the high point of breed judging and it is therefore important that this procedure is carried out in accordance with guidelines set out in the Kennel Club’s Guide for Judges and Ring Stewards. The Kennel Club would like to remind all Judges and Ring Stewards at Championship Shows of the correct procedure which should be followed.

When awarding Challenge Certificates, Reserve Challenge Certificates, Best of Sex, Reserve Best of Sex and Best of Breed cards, it is recommended that the blank card be handed to the winning exhibitor as soon as the award is declared in the centre of the ring. The card should then be handed back to be completed and signed by the judge and then returned. Some judges prefer to complete and sign the cards at the end of the dog classes, others return the completed cards after all judging for the breed is finished. Either of these methods is acceptable.

It is emphasised that at no time should a ring steward or any person other than the judge fill in details of the exhibit on the card. Cards which have been signed by the judge but which do not have details of the winning exhibit should not be handed out at any time.

Copies of the Guide for Judges and Ring Stewards may be obtained from the Kennel Club’s Publications Department or via the Kennel Club’s website.

On one level, I’m just disappointed that the RSPCA’s response is so blinkered in its approach to the subject. It has virtually ignored the good work done by breed clubs, breeders and the Kennel Club over many years. After all, we have already gone a long way to achieving eleven of the fourteen major recommendations in the Society's own report on this subject. They have virtually ignored that.

On another level I see this RSPCA response as thoroughly condescending and, quite frankly, arrogant. While it does contain some sensible comments, it appears to be largely the work of narrow-minded people who obviously have a very specific and dangerous agenda against pedigree dogs. What credence can be given to a report that claims that even the revised Kennel Club breed standards are still detrimental to dog welfare, and which uses, in a feeble attempt to illustrate this, the fact that the Pembroke Welsh Corgi breed standard asks for the breed to have short legs? That comment reveals the uninformed and extreme mentality of those with whom we are dealing.

Also the response concentrates on telling the Kennel Club what to do and patronisingly talks of giving the KC and its dog breeders one last chance - while at the same time pretty well ignoring the fact that over 50% of dogs bred in this country fall completely outside the Kennel Club’s sphere of influence.

It attempts to ‘rubbish’ the Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme on completely inaccurate grounds. That scheme is the only benchmark scheme that currently exists for dog breeders and is growing stronger by the day.

It tells More 4 how to edit its TV programmes and it advises the veterinary profession on how to run its affairs as well. It even criticises APGAW just because the Group hasn’t accepted all of the RSPCA recommendations.

We have thought all along that the RSPCA takes an unrealistic and some might say extremist view of this issue. It completely wants rid of dog shows as we know them. The Society makes the outrageous and totally ill informed assumption that health, welfare and temperament play no part in current dog showing. It goes on to show its real view when it says ‘The Society believes that the most important change that should be made to dog shows in order to really improve the health and welfare of pedigree dogs would be for the entire purpose of such shows to be changed. The Society believes that the purpose of dog shows should be to judge dogs on their health, welfare and temperament rather than appearance.’ The Kennel Club believes that health and temperament are absolutely paramount, and are viewed as such in the show ring, but it believes that appearance is an important factor as well. It is mainly appearance that distinguishes one breed of dog from another. That is a fundamental and irreconcilable difference that we have with the RSPCA. I believe that it shows up the RSPCA as having adopted an extreme stance that would not be shared by the vast majority of pedigree dog owners who want their chosen breed to look like their chosen breed.

The Kennel Club became involved in the programme ‘Pedigree Dogs Exposed’ because it wanted to have an open and honest discussion about the health issues of some pedigree dog breeds and what can and is being done to ensure that all dogs have the opportunity to live healthy, happy lives. It was precisely because the programme makers originally said that its message was “intended to be a hopeful one showing how science and breeders can combine to preserve our purebreds for the future” that the Kennel Club was at the outset keen to take part.

After the programme was broadcast the Kennel Club was obliged to lodge a complaint to Ofcom because it believed it had been treated unfairly, and because its views – formed on the basis of many years of experience in tackling the issue of improving dog health under the guidance of its scientific advisors – were not adequately conveyed.

Ofcom upheld parts of the Kennel Club’s complaint about unfair treatment, by saying that it was not given a timely and appropriate opportunity to respond to certain damaging allegations included in the programme. These included the implication that the Kennel Club covered up the nature of an operation carried out on a Crufts Best in Show winner.

Ofcom also found that contributions to the programme made by Professor Jeff Sampson, the Kennel Club’s senior scientific advisor and spokesman, did not fairly represent his views. It admitted that the material and extracts actually used in the programme did not fully or fairly reflect his considered responses in the lengthy interviews he gave to the programme makers.

Chairman of the Kennel Club, Ronnie Irving, said: “The Kennel Club is pleased that Ofcom has confirmed that Professor Sampson was not fairly represented in the programme. Professor Sampson is our senior representative and spokesman on the health and genetic issues affecting dogs. It is therefore surprising that Ofcom doesn’t also conclude, on this occasion, that the Kennel Club itself was therefore unfairly represented. Ofcom has actually changed its mind on this point since its provisional decision.

“The damaging effect of this unfair editing was to distort our views and to fail to show viewers the seriousness with which we take the issue of dog health and the investment we make in this area.

“We are pleased with the finding in respect of the Crufts Best in Show winner. We are committed to ensuring that the show ring is used as a force for good, to encourage and reward the breeding of healthy, happy dogs and we took this allegation – and the fact that we were not given the appropriate opportunity to respond to it – very seriously.

“We have previously indicated our concerns over the lengthy time it has taken to resolve our complaint and over Ofcom’s last minute acceptance of further submissions by the BBC. We do have serious misgivings about the conduct of our complaint and on the obvious change of mind which took place between Ofcom’s decision in its provisional finding, and the decision that it finally published.

“This process has taken a significant amount of time and the Kennel Club now wants to move forward, continuing to work with breed experts, our scientific advisors and the veterinary profession, to ensure that all dogs are given the opportunity to lead the healthy, happy lives that they deserve.”

The Kennel Club has announced the appointment of eleven new Breed Advisors to join its regional team, who will play a central role in maintaining the high standards of the Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme as it continues to grow in size and stature.

The new Regional Breeder Advisors were chosen following a rigorous selection process that took account of their breeding experience, knowledge of the scheme and general commitment to the dog world.

Amongst them the new recruits amass years of breeding experience and include Show Champion breeders, Crufts judges, a veterinary surgeon, a veterinary nurse and behaviourist and a former Breed Club Secretary.

The new recruits will be responsible for inspecting the premises of the scheme’s members and ensuring that its principles and standards are upheld.

Bill Lambert, Head of the Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme, said: “We are delighted with the quality of the candidates who applied to join our team of advisors. Those who have been selected are of a very high calibre and are utterly dedicated to ensuring that the scheme’s members put the health and welfare of their puppies first and foremost. The role that they will play is a vital one, helping us to ensure that our robust system of checks and inspections remain effective and that the quality of the scheme is maintained.”

Accredited Breeders have all agreed to sign up to Kennel Club standards for responsible breeding, which include following guidelines about the maximum age and frequency of litters, providing post-sales advice, proper whelping and kennelling facilities and agreeing to give their dogs the required health tests for their breed. The Kennel Club, in addition to running a system of inspections, has various other checks in place to monitor the credentials of its members, which include continually monitoring puppy feedback forms and running pre-acceptance checks on all new members.

The most powerful way to end puppy farming is to educate puppy buyers about how to spot a responsible breeder, so that they don’t unwittingly fall into the hands of a puppy farmer. By bringing responsible breeders together as one recognisable group the Kennel Club hopes that puppy buyers will find it easier to identify good breeders from those who may not be.

Puppy buyers can contact the Kennel Club for their list of Accredited Breeders or they can find them listed on the Kennel Club’s Find a Puppy website (www.findapuppy.org.uk) where they will be marked with a scheme logo next to their name, and will appear at the top of the results page.

The continued development of the Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme comes as the Kennel Club prepares to hand a petition into the government on Tuesday 1 December, which urges it to make the principles and standards expected of Accredited Breeders compulsory throughout the country. This would mean that anybody who does not follow responsible breeding practice, whether they breed pedigrees or cross breeds and whether they register with the Kennel Club or not, would be unable to sell puppies within the law.

The Kennel Club has announced the first Accredited Breeder Scheme members to receive Accolades of Excellence for setting exemplary standards in dog breeding.

The members were selected for their extensive breeding experience and for their commitment to dog health and welfare. Future nominations are expected to come from breed clubs, which are invited to submit the names of candidates in writing to the Kennel Club.

Speaking about the nominations, Bill Lambert, Health and Breeder Services Manager, said: “The Accolade of Excellence is a new award that really sets the standard that we would like other breeders to follow.

“Kennel Club Accredited Breeders all agree to put the health and welfare of their dogs first and foremost but those who have been given this accolade stand out in particular for their outstanding contribution to the dog world. We are very proud to have these great breeders as members of the Accredited Breeder Scheme and they are fully deserving of the accolade.”

The Accolade of Excellence is normally awarded to Kennel Club Accredited Breeders who already qualify for the three existing accolades. All will also have had a successful visit from an Accredited Breeder Advisor and have bred five or more British champions (any discipline). Those who received the Accolade of Excellence are made honorary members of the Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme for five years.

Future nominations for the Accolade of Excellence will normally come from breed clubs, which are invited to submit the names of candidates in writing to the Kennel Club. Breed club secretaries requiring a current list of Accredited Breeders in their breed should email abs@thekennelclub.org.uk or write to Accredited Breeder Scheme, The Kennel Club, 1 – 5 Clarges Street, Piccadilly, London W1J 8AB.

The Accredited Breeders who have received the first Accolades of Excellence are:

Mesdames SC Bliss & C Bridport (Charney)

Mrs DA Britten (Krisma)

Mr M & Mrs N Calvert (Calvdale)

Mr D & Mrs CA Coode (Warringah)

Mrs LA Crawley (Ragus)

Mrs JM Dennis (Mariglen)

Mr SA & Mrs P Hollings (Gunalt)

Mesdames O K Jackson & M Swash (Jokyl)

Mrs YC Miller (Walkon)

Mrs D Mottram (Mybeards)

Mrs J Sharp-Bale (Neradmik)

Mrs CS Thompson-Morgan (Belleville)

The continued development of the Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme comes as the Kennel Club prepares to hand a petition into the government on Tuesday 1 December, which urges it to make the principles and standards expected of Accredited Breeders compulsory throughout the country. This would mean that anybody who does not follow responsible breeding practice, whether they breed pedigrees or cross breeds and whether they register with the Kennel Club or not, would be unable to sell puppies within the law.

Kennel Club Encourages Residents To Complete Dog Control Order Survey In Mansfield

25-Aug-10

OUR DOGS reports that Kennel Club members appear to have taken the bull by the horns at their AGM today and have rung the changes.

In addition to the announcement by Chairman Ronnie Irving that he will not be seeking reelection in June after 9 years at the helm, members have voted through an amended version of the Mike Gadsby proposal. The upshot is that coat testing is suspended as of now pending a full discussion by many interested parties.

This result will delight the many people who signed a Facebook petition recently although some exhibitors have already voiced concerns that coat dying will be a problem. OUR DOGS anticipates that this will be a key subject in any discussion. Mike Gadsby had always said he was against any form of coat dying of course.

His earlier statement stated: “We are asking for an end of testing for powder, lacquer and silicone-based products ONLY. We are NOT suggesting that other substances which permanently change natural colour or natural texture such as DYE or Chemical straighteners should be acceptable. We support the continued testing for dye should the KC choose to do so.”

At the same meeting the resolution to lift the age limit of 75 years for judges has also gone through.

There has been a change to the way senior YKC members can become members of the Kennel Club and for the first time in nine years, the Registration fees have risen, both because of a price increase and the new rate of vat.

All of these changes will be discussed in full in next weeks issue and we welcome readers’ comments for inclusion in the paper on any of the above topics.

COAT TESTING VIEWS REQUESTED BY 7 JULY