Puppy Farms

– David Margan News has recently broken that a number of customers of a Sunshine Coast cross-bred dog breeder have been sold puppies with serious genetic medical issues that have cost the new puppy owners thousands of dollars to try and rectify.

It’s a story where two things collide – animal welfare and consumer rights.

Speaking in response, Ulla Greenwood, President of the state’s peak dog body, Dogs Queensland said; “Puppy farms are big business in Queensland and for a number of them, the welfare of the dog often runs a distant last to profit. We have a number of examples where backyard breeders or puppy farms are simply not caring for their dogs or their customers.”

State Government regulation is weak and has focussed just on linking a puppy to a breeder.

“Anyone can become a breeder; you just have to fill out a form to get a breeder identification number and away you go. There are no checks on your suitability and experience or the suitability of the premises”, said Ulla Greenwood. “In effect it gives backyard operators a license to breed with no standards, inspections or rules imposed by the State government.”

In this situation only the worst of cases is revealed and then only because a concerned member of the public makes a complaint. It is a recipe for cruelty, abuse and poor outcomes for puppies and their purchasers. This must change.

Dogs Queensland has over 1500 pure bred dog breeders amongst its more than 6000 members across Queensland. Member dog breeders are required to comply with a rigorous Breeder Code of Conduct.

For many breeds mandatory health tests need to be passed before the dog is bred from. Dogs Queensland is the only Queensland dog body affiliated to the ANKC.

“We know dogs, we are the dog experts and we stand ready to help to change this situation for the better. The welfare of our wonderful dogs comes first, and we want the public to get the great result they deserve”, said President of Dogs Queensland, Ulla Greenwood.