Comments on: Why I Spoke Out About Cavaliers by Margaret Carter http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/976/why-i-spoke-out-about-cavaliers-by-margaret-carter/ the lifestyle magazine for dog lovers Sat, 11 Jun 2011 15:23:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: LINDA BARTON http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/976/why-i-spoke-out-about-cavaliers-by-margaret-carter/#comment-116365 LINDA BARTON Sun, 13 Jun 2010 16:56:25 +0000 http://www.dogmagazine.net/?p=976#comment-116365 my sister has just had to have her gorgeous cavalier put to sleep the vet knew right away what he had sym he was bought from a fantastc breeder or so she said after the program on tv my sister rang her she said no my breeds r wonderful hence now the dog is dead my sister and grandchildren r devastated she never had the money for mri scans or even a postmortem the rat she bought him off has changed her phone no and who ever answered the door at her home r saying she does not live here anymore well god forgive her i hope she suffers like my sister is suffering now bev i curse you the rspca should be informed about u an stop u breeding these wonderful dogs margaret carter i applaud you xxxxxxxxxxxx my sister has just had to have her gorgeous cavalier put to sleep the vet knew right away what he had sym he was bought from a fantastc breeder or so she said after the program on tv my sister rang her she said no my breeds r wonderful hence now the dog is dead my sister and grandchildren r devastated she never had the money for mri scans or even a postmortem the rat she bought him off has changed her phone no and who ever answered the door at her home r saying she does not live here anymore well god forgive her i hope she suffers like my sister is suffering now bev i curse you the rspca should be informed about u an stop u breeding these wonderful dogs margaret carter i applaud you xxxxxxxxxxxx

]]> By: Ernie http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/976/why-i-spoke-out-about-cavaliers-by-margaret-carter/#comment-58295 Ernie Sat, 12 Sep 2009 04:03:44 +0000 http://www.dogmagazine.net/?p=976#comment-58295 I watched the BBC's expose of poor breeding practices in dogs, with disgust and absolute contempt for those breeders who were featured as the saviours and improvers of their chosen breeds. Let's get right to the heart of the situation. They are breeding boutique litters to suit what THEY perceive as the perfect dog, which will ultimately line their pockets with gold and enable them to display that coveted and prestigious "best-in-show" cup to be bragged about among their kennel club buddies. They are no better than the back yard breeder whose prime intention is also making money. I watched the BBC’s expose of poor breeding practices in dogs, with disgust and absolute contempt for those breeders who were featured as the saviours and improvers of their chosen breeds. Let’s get right to the heart of the situation. They are breeding boutique litters to suit what THEY perceive as the perfect dog, which will ultimately line their pockets with gold and enable them to display that coveted and prestigious “best-in-show” cup to be bragged about among their kennel club buddies. They are no better than the back yard breeder whose prime intention is also making money.

]]> By: Ann Brownell http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/976/why-i-spoke-out-about-cavaliers-by-margaret-carter/#comment-58214 Ann Brownell Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:19:15 +0000 http://www.dogmagazine.net/?p=976#comment-58214 I saw the programme on the BBC with regard to genetic disease in Pedigree Dogs. The situation is outrageous and needs to be stopped. I believe that: 1.The breeders and the Kennel Club are responsible for this situation and that they are breaching Consumer Law. A class action of purchasers who have purchased puppies should sue the Kennel Club for damages. A large award of damages against the Kennel club and the individual breeders will immediately cause breeders and the Kennel clubs to stop and review their actions. In addition to the above class action I would recommend: 1.Heavy fines for any Kennel club who registers an animal with a genetic disorder. 2.Should a breeder at any time during this animal’s lifetime become aware that the animal has a genetic disorder they must immediately de-register and de-sex the animal producing vet certificates as evidence. 3.Their direct progeny must also be removed from the register and de-sexed. A failure by a breeder to act responsibly and take this action to be fined $50,000 pounds and barred forever from breeding 4.No animal allowed in the show ring with a genetic disorder and breeders to increasingly be required to undergo testing of their animals for genetic disorders starting with the most common genetic diseases for that breed. 5.Breed Standards to immediately be amended so that practices that distort/ maim dogs are removed for example ‘ridges on the ridge backs’. Breed standards to disallow disfigured and maimed dogs from entering the show ring. 6.The Kennel Club to have the power to request any breeder to present their animal to a registered specialist vet for genetic testing and should the breeder be found to have breached the above heavy penalties to be applied. I hope that all dog lovers will stop these terrible practices Ann Brownell I saw the programme on the BBC with regard to genetic disease in Pedigree Dogs. The situation is outrageous and needs to be stopped.
I believe that:
1.The breeders and the Kennel Club are responsible for this situation and that they are breaching Consumer Law. A class action of purchasers who have purchased puppies should sue the Kennel Club for damages. A large award of damages against the Kennel club and the individual breeders will immediately cause breeders and the Kennel clubs to stop and review their actions.
In addition to the above class action I would recommend:
1.Heavy fines for any Kennel club who registers an animal with a genetic disorder.
2.Should a breeder at any time during this animal’s lifetime become aware that the animal has a genetic disorder they must immediately de-register and de-sex the animal producing vet certificates as evidence.
3.Their direct progeny must also be removed from the register and de-sexed. A failure by a breeder to act responsibly and take this action to be fined $50,000 pounds and barred forever from breeding
4.No animal allowed in the show ring with a genetic disorder and breeders to increasingly be required to undergo testing of their animals for genetic disorders starting with the most common genetic diseases for that breed.
5.Breed Standards to immediately be amended so that practices that distort/ maim dogs are removed for example ‘ridges on the ridge backs’. Breed standards to disallow disfigured and maimed dogs from entering the show ring.
6.The Kennel Club to have the power to request any breeder to present their animal to a registered specialist vet for genetic testing and should the breeder be found to have breached the above heavy penalties to be applied.
I hope that all dog lovers will stop these terrible practices
Ann Brownell

]]> By: Sean http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/976/why-i-spoke-out-about-cavaliers-by-margaret-carter/#comment-26677 Sean Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:18:02 +0000 http://www.dogmagazine.net/?p=976#comment-26677 Leah! It sounds like you are in DENIAL! Dogs should not be on medication in the first place! Where's your 'scientific proof' about mixed breeds? After all, what do you expect - they are probably the result of 2 unhealthy breeds in the first place - but their owners can't afford to keep them going without medication. You say that you can trace the parentage of your dogs - and that you "avoid...failings". I hope you do so by NEUTERING them. Just admit that there ARE problems in ALL breeds - stop moaning about what the BBC special did or didnt do - and rather spend your time convincing all the 'breeders' you have worked with over the last 4 decades to CHANGE the way we breed TODAY. Take the blinkers off! If you really cared you wouldn't even let it happen to 1% of the breed. Don't say that is impossible. It will be difficult but IT IS POSSIBLE! There are a number of books out there that have done well to point out how the purebred dog got to be where it is today - and explains why as well as gives some suggestions on how to get out of this depressing state of affairs! Leah! It sounds like you are in DENIAL! Dogs should not be on medication in the first place! Where’s your ‘scientific proof’ about mixed breeds? After all, what do you expect – they are probably the result of 2 unhealthy breeds in the first place – but their owners can’t afford to keep them going without medication.

You say that you can trace the parentage of your dogs – and that you “avoid…failings”. I hope you do so by NEUTERING them.

Just admit that there ARE problems in ALL breeds – stop moaning about what the BBC special did or didnt do – and rather spend your time convincing all the ‘breeders’ you have worked with over the last 4 decades to CHANGE the way we breed TODAY. Take the blinkers off! If you really cared you wouldn’t even let it happen to 1% of the breed. Don’t say that is impossible. It will be difficult but IT IS POSSIBLE! There are a number of books out there that have done well to point out how the purebred dog got to be where it is today – and explains why as well as gives some suggestions on how to get out of this depressing state of affairs!

]]> By: Anne http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/976/why-i-spoke-out-about-cavaliers-by-margaret-carter/#comment-26676 Anne Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:01:09 +0000 http://www.dogmagazine.net/?p=976#comment-26676 To Donna What kind of an excuse is: "where would you look for SM free linage (pedigree)" and "what if the same conclusion were to apply to your breed", even worse: "study has nothing conclusive" therefore "what exactly would you do being put in the same position?" STOP BREEDING WITH THOSE ANIMALS To Donna
What kind of an excuse is: “where would you look for SM free linage (pedigree)”
and “what if the same conclusion were to apply to your breed”, even worse: “study has nothing conclusive” therefore “what exactly would you do being put in the same position?” STOP BREEDING WITH THOSE ANIMALS

]]> By: Nessie Logan http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/976/why-i-spoke-out-about-cavaliers-by-margaret-carter/#comment-22980 Nessie Logan Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:21:18 +0000 http://www.dogmagazine.net/?p=976#comment-22980 I am surprised that no one has asked Margaret Carter why she sat for so long on the knowledge that breeders were using SM affected dogs. Surly as a member of the Club Health Committee she had it within her power to go through the appropriate channels to have this matter addressed. Also there has been much confusion weather these dogs should be used in breeding. My understanding was that the researcher Clare Rusbridge had advised, in her protocol, continued use under certain guidelines. As a pet owner I fail to see where either reputable breeders, or the Cavalier Club, tried to hind that there were health problems within the breed. Most decent breeders make the prospective owner aware of SM, MVD and other health issues in the Cavalier. The Cavalier Club on their home page has an extensive coverage on health issues. The Club has supported research in MVD and SM and has made any research reports available to the general public. I fail to see what good can come of Margaret's actions, or how as a result of them she thought they would achieve a solution for the health problems within the breed. The general public now believes that the CKCS is riddled with Syringomyilea when this is not the case. Many vets have yet to treat one single dog with Syringomyilea. If anyone doubts my claim you only have to ring round vets. Pet owners are now scared to walk their dogs in case they are accosted by some irate person who believes that they are cruel to have this wee dog who is in acute pain. They even run the risk of some activist snatching their dog to have it put down, believing it to be in pain. The more balanced picture is that many of us have healthy Cavaliers. Margaret and others have claimed that they feel sorry for the pet owners who don't know about the health issues. My question is why don't they know? Surly if one is going to pay out several hundred for a pedigree dog they are going to do their research first. All one has to do go to the breed website, ring round vets etc. All pedigree dogs have health issues, and come to that so do cross breeds. I have spent thousands on cross breed illnesses. SM and MVD are problem in the breed, and we should all be doing what we can to support research for answers. My heart goes out to any owner that has had to deal with these illnesses. However, humans get sick and so do dogs, that's life. I suspect that SM has been there since the beginning and that it’s only advancement in science that has brought awareness. There has been much speculation to the causes of SM; to date all that we have are theories. We have as yet no definite answers this is why it is so important that research must go on. Nor is it contained within the Cavalier breed, the more we advance in science it is being discovered in other breeds. Just as with human illness as we progress in knowledge we will become more equipped to combat them. It saddens me that the only people that has been hurt in all this is the reputable breeders, who are already trying to do their best to breed healthy dogs. Whilst the Puppy Farmer and indiscriminate breeder continue to churn out sickly dogs, Cavaliers that end up in rescues and go out to unsuspecting pet owners. What a wonderful opportunity the program was to highlight the big problem of Puppy Farming but nothing was said. Too if legislation comes in, which I understand some people are pushing for, where dogs are treated in the same way as other lives talk, it will be an even sadder day for our Cavaliers. I am surprised that no one has asked Margaret Carter why she sat for so long on the knowledge that breeders were using SM affected dogs. Surly as a member of the Club Health Committee she had it within her power to go through the appropriate channels to have this matter addressed. Also there has been much confusion weather these dogs should be used in breeding. My understanding was that the researcher Clare Rusbridge had advised, in her protocol, continued use under certain guidelines.

As a pet owner I fail to see where either reputable breeders, or the Cavalier Club, tried to hind that there were health problems within the breed. Most decent breeders make the prospective owner aware of SM, MVD and other health issues in the Cavalier. The Cavalier Club on their home page has an extensive coverage on health issues. The Club has supported research in MVD and SM and has made any research reports available to the general public.

I fail to see what good can come of Margaret’s actions, or how as a result of them she thought they would achieve a solution for the health problems within the breed. The general public now believes that the CKCS is riddled with Syringomyilea when this is not the case. Many vets have yet to treat one single dog with Syringomyilea. If anyone doubts my claim you only have to ring round vets. Pet owners are now scared to walk their dogs in case they are accosted by some irate person who believes that they are cruel to have this wee dog who is in acute pain. They even run the risk of some activist snatching their dog to have it put down, believing it to be in pain. The more balanced picture is that many of us have healthy Cavaliers.

Margaret and others have claimed that they feel sorry for the pet owners who don’t know about the health issues. My question is why don’t they know? Surly if one is going to pay out several hundred for a pedigree dog they are going to do their research first. All one has to do go to the breed website, ring round vets etc. All pedigree dogs have health issues, and come to that so do cross breeds. I have spent thousands on cross breed illnesses.

SM and MVD are problem in the breed, and we should all be doing what we can to support research for answers. My heart goes out to any owner that has had to deal with these illnesses. However, humans get sick and so do dogs, that’s life. I suspect that SM has been there since the beginning and that it’s only advancement in science that has brought awareness.

There has been much speculation to the causes of SM; to date all that we have are theories. We have as yet no definite answers this is why it is so important that research must go on. Nor is it contained within the Cavalier breed, the more we advance in science it is being discovered in other breeds. Just as with human illness as we progress in knowledge we will become more equipped to combat them.

It saddens me that the only people that has been hurt in all this is the reputable breeders, who are already trying to do their best to breed healthy dogs. Whilst the Puppy Farmer and indiscriminate breeder continue to churn out sickly dogs, Cavaliers that end up in rescues and go out to unsuspecting pet owners. What a wonderful opportunity the program was to highlight the big problem of Puppy Farming but nothing was said. Too if legislation comes in, which I understand some people are pushing for, where dogs are treated in the same way as other lives talk, it will be an even sadder day for our Cavaliers.

]]> By: bet hargreaves http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/976/why-i-spoke-out-about-cavaliers-by-margaret-carter/#comment-22713 bet hargreaves Tue, 14 Oct 2008 08:20:45 +0000 http://www.dogmagazine.net/?p=976#comment-22713 May I mention the Health Review which has just appeared on the UK CKCS CLUB Web-SITE www.thecavalierclub.co.uk This is the up to date account of Dr Blott's SM and MVD Research at the Animal Health Trust ,from Dr Jeff Sampson at the Kennel Club Bet Hargreaves May I mention the Health Review which has just appeared on the UK CKCS CLUB Web-SITE

http://www.thecavalierclub.co.uk

This is the up to date account of Dr Blott’s SM and MVD Research at the Animal Health Trust ,from Dr Jeff Sampson at the Kennel Club

Bet Hargreaves

]]> By: Mark Shaw http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/976/why-i-spoke-out-about-cavaliers-by-margaret-carter/#comment-22672 Mark Shaw Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:51:14 +0000 http://www.dogmagazine.net/?p=976#comment-22672 I applaud Margret Carter for coming out and saying what needed to be said. Strange how she spent many years in what I would assume are prominent positions on the committee. ..12 years on the regional Eastern Counties Committee. I was their health representative and helped run their rescue service for an interim period. ....Cavalier Club committee in 1999 I have served on their health committee for 8 years. I was the health representativefor 4 years. ...Club SM spokesperson since 2003 And now suddenly because she starts to tell the truth that many do not want to hear or admit she isn't even worthy of being a club member? To be honest reading some of the comments here I think she is well away from them. I would appreciate that the obvious club members who are posting here continue to do so though, because as the saying goes, 'give them enough rope..... Mark I applaud Margret Carter for coming out and saying what needed to be said. Strange how she spent many years in what I would assume are prominent positions on the committee.

..12 years on the regional Eastern Counties Committee. I was their health
representative and helped run their rescue service for an interim period.
….Cavalier Club committee in 1999 I have served on their health committee for 8 years. I was the health representativefor 4 years.
…Club SM spokesperson since 2003

And now suddenly because she starts to tell the truth that many do not want to hear or admit she isn’t even worthy of being a club member?

To be honest reading some of the comments here I think she is well away from them. I would appreciate that the obvious club members who are posting here continue to do so though, because as the saying goes, ‘give them enough rope…..

Mark

]]> By: Donna Lee http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/976/why-i-spoke-out-about-cavaliers-by-margaret-carter/#comment-22625 Donna Lee Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:51:20 +0000 http://www.dogmagazine.net/?p=976#comment-22625 Just a question to Ruth, where would you look for SM free linage (pedigree) I think most breeders would be happy to do that. I see that you have BG and now the study has begun on your breed, what if the same conclusion were to apply to your breed. Since the study has nothing conclusive and even the specialist can not agree on degrees, breeding protcals, etc, what exactly would you do being put in the same position? I think it is always easier to make comments and suggestions with nothing to back it up. Just a question to Ruth, where would you look for SM free linage (pedigree) I think most breeders would be happy to do that. I see that you have BG and now the study has begun on your breed, what if the same conclusion were to apply to your breed. Since the study has nothing conclusive and even the specialist can not agree on degrees, breeding protcals, etc, what exactly would you do being put in the same position? I think it is always easier to make comments and suggestions with nothing to back it up.

]]> By: juliet shaw http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/976/why-i-spoke-out-about-cavaliers-by-margaret-carter/#comment-22514 juliet shaw Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:46:10 +0000 http://www.dogmagazine.net/?p=976#comment-22514 Here we have a lady who made a mistake,and dealt with it..then went about alerting the breed to the condition.That`s wrong?Well if it affects their profits or show kudos,yes.I really hope the Kennel Club come down hard on this Club so it cleans up it`s act.Years ago I groomed a Cav with all those strange symtoms save for pain,now I realise what it was ;not my kind of breed ,but it would be the likes of this lady I would buy from or someone equally honest! Here we have a lady who made a mistake,and dealt with it..then went about alerting the breed to the condition.That`s wrong?Well if it affects their profits or show kudos,yes.I really hope the Kennel Club come down hard on this Club so it cleans up it`s act.Years ago I groomed a Cav with all those strange symtoms save for pain,now I realise what it was ;not my kind of breed ,but it would be the likes of this lady I would buy from or someone equally honest!

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