Saturday 29 September 2012

Something to Say: Release the Dogs!

The things I do for Marleen Vaughan!
It is that time of the month again, and this month, the Concerned Bloggers Association are addressing the nasty problem of puppy farms. The Kennel Club define puppy farmers as 'volume breeders who have little regard or consideration for the basic needs of their breeding bitches and puppies', who will 'breed over and again from their breeding bitches, damaging their health and will often kill or abandon them when they are no longer of use', and 'keep puppies in poor conditions where they have no access to day to day sights and sounds and fail to become properly socialised' which can be dangerous not only for the puppy, but the family coming to take them home. In 2006, the BBC launched an investigation into and created a documentary on the subject, putting together a list of advice to help the general public become more aware about the issue of puppy farming.

I confess, until I saw the topic for this month, I had never given much thought to puppy farming. When I think of such now, the image of battery chickens springs to mind - and that's a horror that I think we are all more than familiar with. The scary thing is that puppy farmers sell through what appear to be perfectly reputable shops and businesses, and so it isn't always obvious that the puppy you are buying has been treated poorly. 

What can you do to help? I don't think it's as simple as just not buying puppies. And if you do buy a puppy that you suspect has come from a puppy farm, it would perhaps be prudent to inform the RSPCA of your suspicions. The new RSPCA advert on the TV suggests that they now have the power to intervene in situations before animals get hurt, so they are investigating as many claims as possible. These dogs need to be looked after properly - the facilities are there! - so please, do report anything you think suspicious.

(Puppy head image taken from here.)

 This Public Service Announcement was brought to you by the Concerned Bloggers Association. If you would like to become involved, please contact Marleen Vaughan for more information.

3 comments:

  1. Excellent post, Kitti. Next time I see you online, I am totally going to lick your face like a puppy!

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  2. Thank you - and lol, you'd better hope I'm not still wearing my puppy head then! XD

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  3. hahahaha! such a cute picture. Great post!

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