Breed Club STILL Recommending Healthy Puppies Be Killed - Kennel Club ‘Extremely Concerned’
Posted By Ryan O'Meara Date: 31/03 Posted Under: Animal Cruelty, Animal Welfare, Dog NewsA couple of weeks ago we reported that the Rhodesian Ridgeback club of Great Britain was encouraging its members to ‘cull’ puppies born without a ridge.
Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies don’t need the ridge to be healthy, in fact some evidence suggests the ridgeless examples are actually genetically predisposed to be healthier dogs, it is purely a breed ’standard’ that demands Ridgebacks have the line of fur running in the opposite direction along the dog’s back.
At the time of reporting this sick, callous call to action from the breed club, we asked the Kennel Club what their position was.
We were told:
“The Kennel Club has recently written to the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Great Britain regarding the code of ethics and asked them to remove the clause requiring the culling of ridgeless puppies. We are currently considering their response.”
A few weeks on and the breed club in question is still publishing the following on its website:
7. Any mismarked puppies shall be described as such and sold as “not to be shown or bred from.” This shall be reflected in the price. Ridgeless puppies shall be culled at birth
So we asked the Kennel Club to update us on their position as the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Great Britain is a Kennel Club affiliated breed club and is blatantly and seeming unashamedly encouraging breeders to kill healthy puppies in the name of a ‘breed standard’.
The Kennel Club’s latest position, courtesy of Caroline Kisco (KC secretary)
“The Kennel Club is still dealing with the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Great Britain and is extremely concerned and very disappointed about its code of ethics”
Let us hope ‘dealing’ with this particular breed club means, quite simply, ordering they change this barbaric, stomach churning, ludicrously outdated ‘advice’ to kill puppies or be struck off as a Kennel Club affiliated breed club.
This type of instruction reflects horribly on the world of pedigree dogs as a whole and it absolutely has to stop. Now.
If you feel strongly about this issue, feel free to contact the breed club directly
Membership Secretary
Mr John Parrott
6 Coltsfoot, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire SG18 8SR
Telephone : 01767 310123
We are in 2008. We should NOT be advising breeders to kill puppies because of the lack of a line of fur on their backs.
Author DetailsRyan O'Meara is editor-in-chief of K9 Magazine, the lifestyle magazine for dog lovers. He lives in the East Midlands with his own two dogs, Mia and Chloe. - See this author's webpage
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Monday, March 31st, 2008 at 5:50 am and is filed under Animal Cruelty, Animal Welfare, Dog News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
““concerned and very disappointed about its code of ethics”
Hmm. Disgusted, horrified, demanding its removal would be more apt imho. Maybe its that darn “political climate” interfering again eh?
Well done to K9 Magazine for following this one up.
What action is the Kennel club going to take over this?
It needs to get a move on to prevent any puppies being killed in the mean time.
Shame on the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Great Britain.
It is an unfortunate fact that in many breeds mismarked or deaf etc. puppies are culled, but this is not often put into codes of ethics.
I have read the Ridgeback code of ethics (thanks for the link) It says about culling:
“Ridgeless puppies shall be culled at birth ; if a breeder finds this morally impossible the puppy shall be homed, without pedigree certificate, at rearing costs only, with an under taking that it shall be neutered.”
So this is not as heartless as you make out! However I do agree that the imperative to cull should be removed!
You must also understand how slowly these things take in the “doggie world” - I suspect that the code of ethics can only be changed by an AGM or EGM of the club, would take someone to propose and second it, then to be voted on.
I don’t know what the Kennel Club can do about except place some pressure on the Ridgeback Club. The Ridgeback Club will be Registered with the KC which as far as I’m aware means that it has to follow the KC rules.