Help The Rspca Stamp Out Puppy Mills

[Ker]

The RSPCA (not my favourite organisation) has started a new initiative to close down puppy mills. Please pledge your support today and pass on the URL to as many people as you can.

http://www.closepuppyfactories.org/index-lo.html

[hoffpig]

Done! Signed and forwarded!

[Scarlet]

Great. IMO this is what the RSPCA are supposed to do.

Signed, forwarded and letters written to govts-again.

[Earthdog]

What they should have been doing for years.

[tarope]

Is this not their job, why does the R$PCA need signatures - sounds like another money making scheme.

[Ashanali]

I just want to know if ethical breeders are going to be caught in the 'abolish the puppy farm' net before I sign anything.

I had a run in with an animal rights activist/extremist who said, "if ethical breeders are a casualty then it's a small price to pay." Ummm... then where do people get their dogs from?

[WreckitWhippet]

I just want to know if ethical breeders are going to be caught in the 'abolish the puppy farm' net before I sign anything.

I had a run in with an animal rights activist/extremist who said, "if ethical breeders are a casualty then it's a small price to pay." Ummm... then where do people get their dogs from?

RSPCA is still sprouting the same old crap, telling people not to buy off the net, from the newpaper etc and to make sure you get to look at the parents.

I'm sorry but the ethical registered breeders are not often located just around the corner , the vast majority wouldn't be using their own stud and the sire may be states away or used via AI.

The best they can do is point people in the direction of Dogs VIC and endorse them, there you'll find the breeders who pay for advertising.

Not good enough from the RSPCA and certainly not good enough to get me to sign anything.

[Clyde]

.

I had a run in with an animal rights activist/extremist who said, "if ethical breeders are a casualty then it's a small price to pay." Ummm... then where do people get their dogs from?

"Ethical responsible breeders' which supply my local pet store with puppies (according to the sign in their window )

Edited July 4, 2010 by Clyde

[PossumCorner]

Well any step forward is a good step. Good on them! Some words of support might get more people to sign, instead of being all purse-mouthed about it?

Good to see that they are having some success with the campaign for pig raising too: hope the other states will follow Tasmania's lead.

[oakway]

NO, I won't sign a thing. Because when they have finished with them I just see them starting on us.

I want to get rid of Puppy Farmers as much as the next one but not at the risk of my involvement in dogs.

It does not need the RSPCA to do this, it can be done at a local council level by regulations and inspections.

If the industry was more heavily regulated as to where and how the dogs may be kept, most Puppy Farmers would

die out as they would not put the money into the conditions the dogs should be kept in.

If Puppy Farmers had to put their hands deep into their pockets to provide sanitary (sewer ed or septic) well kept kennel blocks and staff to maintain the dogs in a clean environment they could be looking at a million dollar project.

JMHO

[WoofnHoof]

I just want to know if ethical breeders are going to be caught in the 'abolish the puppy farm' net before I sign anything.

I had a run in with an animal rights activist/extremist who said, "if ethical breeders are a casualty then it's a small price to pay." Ummm... then where do people get their dogs from?

Of course you're going to get that from animal rights people, the RSPCA aren't an animal rights group so what animal rights people have to say isn't really relevant in this instance. (unless of course you find something in the campaign which aligns with that view)

[WreckitWhippet]

NO, I won't sign a thing. Because when they have finished with them I just see them starting on us.

I want to get rid of Puppy Farmers as much as the next one but not at the risk of my involvement in dogs.

It does not need the RSPCA to do this, it can be done at a local council level by regulations and inspections.

If the industry was more heavily regulated as to where and how the dogs may be kept, most Puppy Farmers would

die out as they would not put the money into the conditions the dogs should be kept in.

If Puppy Farmers had to put their hands deep into their pockets to provide sanitary (sewer ed or septic) well kept kennel blocks and staff to maintain the dogs in a clean environment they could be looking at a million dollar project.

JMHO

You are right about that. There is already enough rule and regulation to sink the puppy farmers, it's simply not policed.

[Gayle.]

I believe the reason the RSPCA haven't been able to do much so far other than prosecute for animal neglect, is that there is no legislation preventing puppy farms from operating. Puppy farms are a legal business enterprise and as long as they have the relevant council permits....and most of them do....and provide the animals with the minimum requirements of shelter, food, water and enough space to stand up and turn around, they ARE meeting the current legislative guidelines.

I think this is a step in the right direction towards having the legislation changed and sorting the puppy farmers from the genuine, ethical breeders of registered pedigree dogs. I hope the canine controlling bodies also step up to the plate and start some sort of positive community awareness campaign on how people can obtain quality pets.

[oakway]

NO, I won't sign a thing. Because when they have finished with them I just see them starting on us.

I want to get rid of Puppy Farmers as much as the next one but not at the risk of my involvement in dogs.

It does not need the RSPCA to do this, it can be done at a local council level by regulations and inspections.

If the industry was more heavily regulated as to where and how the dogs may be kept, most Puppy Farmers would

die out as they would not put the money into the conditions the dogs should be kept in.

If Puppy Farmers had to put their hands deep into their pockets to provide sanitary (sewer ed or septic) well kept kennel blocks and staff to maintain the dogs in a clean environment they could be looking at a million dollar project.

JMHO

You are right about that. There is already enough rule and regulation to sink the puppy farmers, it's simply not policed.

Correct. If the council employed dog savvy people they would soon be closed down. "Some" of the people that do inspections may know no better themselves. How many times do you hear people say about "some" council or other employees ....why would you send that idiot to do the job they wouldn't know any better in the first place. Because I have.

[Pollywaffle]

Anything I can do to further the cause, irrespective of the initiator, I will do ..and have now done for this petition.

[Gayle.]

Correct. If the council employed dog savvy people they would soon be closed down. "Some" of the people that do inspections may know no better themselves. How many times do you hear people say about "some" council or other employees ....why would you send that idiot to do the job they wouldn't know any better in the first place. Because I have.

But if the establishment they've been sent to inspect meets the legislative guidelines, then they can't do anything. And the legislative guidelines for keeping companion animals is a lot different to how you, I and most other DOL'ers keep animals.

They can't take action based on their opinion, they can only take action if the establishment doesn't provide basic needs for the animals according to the legislation, and their basic needs are food, water, shelter and space to turn around.

If they have the relevant permits and are a registered business, there's nothing they can do. If they are shut down based on someones opinion, they can appeal and if they are found to be operating within the legislation they can just re-open and keep trading.

The legislation needs to be changed and what constitutes a puppy farm needs to be defined because as it stands now, there is no definition of a puppy farm.

[Steve]

Correct. If the council employed dog savvy people they would soon be closed down. "Some" of the people that do inspections may know no better themselves. How many times do you hear people say about "some" council or other employees ....why would you send that idiot to do the job they wouldn't know any better in the first place. Because I have.

But if the establishment they've been sent to inspect meets the legislative guidelines, then they can't do anything. And the legislative guidelines for keeping companion animals is a lot different to how you, I and most other DOL'ers keep animals.

They can't take action based on their opinion, they can only take action if the establishment doesn't provide basic needs for the animals according to the legislation, and their basic needs are food, water, shelter and space to turn around.

If they have the relevant permits and are a registered business, there's nothing they can do. If they are shut down based on someones opinion, they can appeal and if they are found to be operating within the legislation they can just re-open and keep trading.

The legislation needs to be changed and what constitutes a puppy farm needs to be defined because as it stands now, there is no definition of a puppy farm.

Dead right and until it is and Im sure that what they do wont stop MDBA members doing what they do - well there's not a chance Im backing their propoganda.

Before you sign their petition better get a look at what they think the solution is.

[oakway]

We all know it's very hard to define a puppy farmer.

Legislation can change from state to state and council to council, but until the regulations

are enforced by those issuing them there is little one can do.

It starts with the building code and then on upwards. For goodness sake boarding kennels are subject to regulations and

if they wish to keep trading they abide by those regulations or close down or are closed down. Until this applies to puppy farmers too we will get no where.

As I said if the puppy farmers have to comply with regulations or face the consequences, puppy farming will continue.

The last thing these type of people want is to have is their hand in their pockets.

The RSPCA will not be able to close down these people they only start up again somewhere else as they have done previously.

[WreckitWhippet]

Seriously, spot checks on simple things like making sure they have cleaned up after the dogs and there is not shit caked to the walls is a start.

[Kirty]

I visited a puppy farm and the farmer boasted that she was able to 'cut corners' because she was buddies with the ranger who did the inspections. She very rarely had inspections and when she did, she was given fair warning by the ranger. He would then also 'overlook' any problems she had. How do you stop that?