Scottish Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club

           21ST March 2010 Kirkliston- Cavalier Club Talk on ABS

reported by Pat Morris.

Mr Bill Lambert – from the Kennel Club Health and Breeder services came to talk to us abut the Accredited Breeder scheme.

He informed us that the ACS now has 5000 members – after being launched in 2004 at Crufts.

The registration system – is to promote breeding healthy dogs in responsible ways, improve the reputation of breeders, reinforce basic concepts of good breeding, to promote health screening, and to provide greater substance to the value of KC registration of pups.

Health screening is now accelerating due to advances in technology, diagnostics and DNA tests

The ABS can only apply to KC registered dogs and NO sort of crossbred.

Applicants MUST have bred a litter and those who are inexperienced can apply for ‘pending’ status.

He explained all the requirements of members of the ABS including the maximum age and frequency of litters must follow KC policy and dogs must be permanently identifiable by microchips, tattoos or DNA. Registration papers must be handed over at the sale of the puppy. Breeders must also supply a contract of sale for each pup sold.

I was interested to hear among the other requirements that breeders can ONLY sell dogs bred by themselves (how often is that breached by puppy-farmers!) and any breed that has screening tests in place and breed specific recommendations must comply with them too. If there is perhaps a substandard pup or puppy that does not meet the 100% health screens then the breeder MUST tell the buyer.

Recommendations only – as none of this can be made mandatory – required testing all BVA/KC in place for that breed – hips, eyes, DNA and breed club schemes. In the case of Cavaliers – eyes, hearts and scanning for SM would be recommended.

Policing of the ABS – this is the part I was especially interested in.

All new applicants who have 4 litters or more in 1 year have checks and are visited – BUT 2 weeks notice is given before any inspection. (This is too long in my opinion) All new applicants are published in the Kennel Club gazette. Any and all complaints are followed up by a visit.

The puppy buyers from an Accredited breeder get a puppy feedback form in which they can state anything at all they were not happy about.

He also said there are random phone checks ‘ by a ‘mystery shopper’

.

When a potential Accredited breeder is inspected -premises and facilities are inspected, breeders records checked etc and a 3 page report is done by the Inspector.

The breeder is allowed to see this report.

Now then –how effective is this? Well there are now 14 inspectors – for the whole of the UK altogether – to cover every breed. (Sorry but this to me is woefully inadequate) There are 400 visits done a year and yes, applicants ARE rejected.

Some Accredited breeders are suspended, given advice and if they mend their ways – are allowed back. Quite a few have resigned due to ‘not being able’ to undertake health testing.

The KC is going to bring in a special ‘Accolade’ scheme for experienced breeders, Breeders Club Accolade- for current members of the breed club and a few others. This to me may look good but they’d be better concentrating on improving the policing of the whole scheme.

The Inspectors are experienced breeders, or veterinary surgeons or vet nurses, who are experienced in inspecting. They are split up by region and group. They are trained to be consistent, and also resourced and funded.

They are going to have breed ‘mentors’ – senior experienced breed figures who are no longer breeding who can mentor, help and advise newer breeders – 4 mentors per breed.

Future plans include continual development and major marketing of the scheme to the puppy buying public- marketing campaigns in the dog press, small ads etc.

They are gong to encourage vets to push the ‘Accredited breeder scheme’ – which I am sure they would if they were told a lot more about it. Posters for waiting rooms will be sent to vets and a vet manual listing all the usual health tests for each breed will be produced.

The talk lasted about an hour and we all listened intently. It was followed by quite a few questions from the audience –all good questions and some satisfactory answers.

Mr Lambert did not appear fully conversant with the Cavalier breed health issues– and the tests we would wish -although to be fair – he must have to deal with a great many breeds all of which have differing breed health tests.

I said that in my opinion – an Accredited Cavalier breeder should health test in this order

Heart testing, 2. Eye testing (litters) and if possible MRI scanning for SM.

There were quite a few questions from breeders, and people concerned – like me – about the policing of any of the ABS. If it worked – it might be good and IF all the good health conscious breeders joined – perhaps one day – we might outnumber the puppy farmers who already may well be in the scheme.

It was a worthwhile talk and interesting although I wish the ABS would succeed – I fear it has not enough ‘teeth’ but hopefully its continual development and encouragement from breeders MAY help.