Dog Breeders Urged To Reduce Litter Numbers - The Guardian

Dog breeders have been urged to cut the number of litters bred from individual bitches over their lifetimes in an attempt to improve animal welfare.

The Kennel Club has told members it will not normally register more than the first four litters bred from one animal and wants the government to lower the legal limit of six in line with its new guidance.

The club said the move should not mean financial hardship for responsible legitimate breeders, but hoped it would lower the incentives for illegal puppy farms.

Bill Lambert, health and breeder services manager, said it wanted to "ensure that all breeders put the health and welfare of their puppies and breeding bitches first and foremost.

He added: "While the law allows bitches to have six litters in a lifetime … the vast majority of responsible breeders feel that this is too high. Very serious consideration has to be given to the matter if a breeder wishes a bitch to have more than four litters but the Kennel Club may grant permission for this to happen if it believes that there is good and justifiable reason for doing so on a case-by-case basis.

"Of course, this decision will sadly not impact on those people who do not register their litters with the club, in particular puppy farmers who breed purely for profit and tend to show little consideration for an animal's welfare. Legislation needs to be tightened so that these people can be brought to account."

A club spokeswoman said that exceptions to the four-litter limit would take only be allowed on advice from a vet and his opinion on the bitch in question. These could include cases where there had been only a one-puppy litter. The club had looked at its existing membership and concluded only a few still bred more than four litters from one bitch.

The club also called for other aspects of its breeders' code to be made mandatory by the government. This would include all breeders having to give their dogs required health tests for their breed and ensuring that potential buyers saw puppies with their mothers and in their home environment.

The club's changes will take effect in January 2012. The club was severely criticised in a BBC documentary in 2008 which alleged that physical traits required under the club's breed standards such as short faces, wrinkling, screw-tails and dwarfism, had inherent health implications. Disputes over the inclusion of certain breeds led to BBC television not covering the club's Crufts show the following year.