TRACEABILITY MAY LEAD TO RESPONSIBILITY

From my ‘Crossing the headlines’ column in Dog World (27th November 2015) about the misrepresentations in the national press on rescue charity intake statistics.

An interesting headline caught my eye in the Telegraph last week, ‘Pedigree dog owners abandoning their pets in alarming numbers’.

The article written by Patrick Sawyer went on to say that, “Welfare groups have warned that owners of pedigree dogs are abandoning their pets in alarming numbers after finding that they cannot cope with health problems caused by ‘irresponsible’ breeding.”

THE DAISY DOG – A MONGREL WITH A PEDIGREE

From my ‘Crossing the headlines’ column in Dog World (6th May 2015).

Have you got some bunting gathering dust at the back of your cupboard? Well get ready to dust it off and hang it out in the streets.

Why? Well haven’t you heard? There’s some great news. The Daisy dog has finally reached these shores. Hurrah!

Yes, the very first litter of “Kennel Certificate registered Daisy puppies” have been born in the UK. You can take your pick from a range of colours; from the run-of-the-mill blacks and chocolates to the rather more fitting creams and champagnes.

THE CUTEST DOG IN THE WORLD?

From my ‘Crossing the headlines’ column in Dog World (11th December 2013) where I discuss the irresponsible and misleading articles on designer dogs.

 

“Is this the cutest dog in the world?” asked the Daily Mail headline. “Imagine the ideal designer dog; it would be smart, healthy and hypoallergenic. It would have the yap bred out of it and longevity bred in. And, most importantly, it would never lose its puppy face…it is the perfect pet accessory”.

Yes folks, this article REALLY did appear in the Daily Mail and, as it went on, it got even worse. Apparently the latest craze Stateside is the ‘Cava-poo-chon’ – a Cavalier King Charles and Bichon-cross mated to a Miniature Poodle.

This creation appears to be the result of a “decades-old search for the dog-face fountain of youth” and that “dog owners…” (so we are told) “have been desperately searching for a dog that never loses its puppy appeal – an eternal puppy”. Up until now buyers wanting that ‘forever puppy-face’ have had to make do with ‘specialised dogs’ such as the ‘Miniature Yorkie’ or ‘Miniature Maltese’ but not anymore; with the help of geneticist and ‘reproductive veterinarian’, the tribrid (or ‘triple cross’) has been created by Linda and Steve Rogers.

DOES A LEOPARD EVER CHANGE ITS SPOTS? NO!

From my ‘Crossing the headlines’ column in Dog World (6th November 2013) where I review more new TV documentaries on dogs and the promotion of designer dogs.

 

So, has the Kennel Club at long last decided to change direction? What with the announcement that crossbreeds will not now be registered and then the change of heart over CC allocation, could it really be true that the KC is now listening to the hardworking breed clubs and councils and, most importantly, the exhibitors?

From a personal point, it’s also been gratifying to have many of my arguments (put forward in this column and seized upon elsewhere) justified.

Maybe now the KC could look across the pond and listen to what the new AKC chairman has recently said:”We will immediately and aggressively respond to any attack utilising our partners, our supporters and our full media assets.”

This is exactly the kind of weapons needed to fend off further attacks from the BBC. Wouldn’t it be good to have our KC put a little of its recent £12m windfall aside for a similar media response or publicity venture?

Far too often, TV shows are broadcast that slate pedigree dogs and their owners and make all sorts of inaccurate statements with absolutely no response or comeback.