Transparency

[Jumabaar]

Sounds like a great idea.

[espinay2]

Posted this in general to get responses from both breeders and rescuers.

Would you be in favour of a system where the canine controls took reports from clubs and from rescue and published a list each year of:

- the numbers of rescues in each breed;

- the breeding of each of these rescues (eg, kennel prefix or "unregistered");

- who took responsibility for the rescue (eg, club rescue, breeder, public rescue); and,

- whether the dog was rehomed, taken back by the breeder or euthanased.

Let's presume for the sake of discussion that the list is supported by the submission of documentary evidence (pound listings, microchip details, papers etc).

This would be easier for some of the less numeric breeds, but may prove an interesting task for more popular breeds.

Agree that the simplicity of the data may mean that the whole picture is not given. For example, what if a dog comes into rescue via whatever path and in rescue they identify who bred it and contact the breeder (who up to this point had no idea the dog was in need), the breeder (in another state) is very willing to take the dog back but rescue has a good home available, and through discussion with the breeder etc rescue places the dog in that home. In the stats this would show up as the rescue taking responsibility for the breeders dog and rehoming the dog. Add the gossip chain to that when it shows up in the stats and you have 'breeder didnt take responsibility for their dog'.

[espinay2]

Not necessarily, as it may include a field like - rescued and re-adopted, with breeder co-operation and assistance.

Should have read further. That could work

[lovemymutts]

RESCUE Organisations especially need to be more transparent!

But would be great across the board to have more transparency!

[Alyosha]

It's like increased regulation though, additional admin work like this needs time and resources that are scarce as it is.

[SparkyTansy]

I think it's a great idea. It would also produce trends regarding breeders/BYBs that consistently have dogs turning up in rescue/pounds.

I definitely agree that the microchip paperwork needs to reflect breeder AND ANKC number to make it easily traceable. That means making microchipping compulsory across Australia. We also need consistent rules regarding handing out registration papers. At the moment in WA people are required to register all puppies but the puppies do not have to be sold with their papers.. Microchip paperwork being in line with ANKC paperwork would solve this issue of course.

[~Anne~]

I can't see any point in the collection of such data other than to prove the obvious. I think it is already an accepted fact that the overwhelming majority of dogs 'at risk' are not purebred dogs.

[Alyosha]

I think the thought behind it being to help highlight and possibly educate those few registered breeders who sell pups to anyone and then those pups (and their resultant offspring) repeatedly come into rescue situations.

[~Anne~]

I think the thought behind it being to help highlight and possibly educate those few registered breeders who sell pups to anyone and then those pups (and their resultant offspring) repeatedly come into rescue situations.

But for the issues it would cause, with yet another way to 'judge' a peer, I can't see it be worth it because of the low numbers in such situations for 99% of breeds.

Besides which, a dog ending up in a rescue does not mean that it was homed with poor judgement or lack of judgement. Some of the Pugs that were surrendered to me came from exceptionally good homes that experienced situations outside of their control.

The issue of dogs in pounds needs to be looked at broadly, and not with such a fine focus. We need statistics collected on the origins of all dogs in pounds. not one single tiny group.

[MYSQL]

I think its a fantastic idea !!!

I've bred 3 litters & out of those 3 litters 2 of those puppies ended up in the pound system at different times( 1 in WA & 1 in Vic ), luckily I was on the microchip as a secondary contact so had extra contact details for the current owners. both were reunited with thier owners the same day after having escaped from the yards due to a gate being left open & a storm blowing a fence down, had they not been able to contact someone there was a risk they may have been euthanised

As breeders it is our responsibility to do whatever it takes to keep dogs we have bred safe & that includes flying them home from another state & paying pound fee's to get them out if for some reason the current owner is unwilling or unable to do so ;)

[SkySoaringMagpie]

Sure, I already do this for Great Dane Rescue NSW, it's interesting to say the least.

I'd love to see a copy of your report - is it available anywhere public? Or can you send a copy to me? Happy to have the content deleted out, I'm just interested in how you structure it and what you include.

Just some general comments.

I agree with Alyosha that it would cost money and there's not a lot of that around. I guess the advantage I see is that unlike regulation of the "you may not do this, or this, or this" kind, it leaves sunlight to do the disinfecting rather than ever more ridiculous rules. As someone else pointed out, if extended to all dogs I think it would demonstrate pretty responsible cleanups in most pure breed dogs compared to hunting mixes, race greyhounds, oodles and backyard staff/bullies.

I agree there are problems with witch-hunting but I think this is like health issues. If the pure breed dog community can't learn how to say "screw it" to the bullies, we are never going to come to terms with the problems we have in house. For me there is no shame in something going wrong, it's how you deal with it that counts. I can't think of anyone who has been in it over 10 years and has never had something go wrong with a placement. I can think of some people where things go wrong on a regular basis because they just don't care. 1 dog in a shelter because something unfortunate happened is not a pattern like, for example, 4 dogs from the one litter bouncing into rescue with behavioural problems, plus a number of other dogs from the same breeder in rescue and behind backyard litters.