Regulating breeding and sales of dogs to minimize dog abandonment, animal abuse and over-breeding

Transcription

1 Regulating breeding and sales f dgs t minimize dg abandnment, animal abuse and ver-breeding Animals Asia Fundatin Animal Welfare Directr David Neale Ideally a dg ppulatin shuld be regulated t meet the cmpanin animal needs f a lcal cmmunity and t minimize the number f unwanted and subsequently abandned animals. In an ideal wrld every dg wuld have a hme which has the ability t meet the dg s welfare needs. Currently unregulated dg breeding leads t a surplus f dgs within a cmmunity with many dgs being abandned, and either develping a raming/stray lifestyle, dying due t illness r accident r ending up at an animal cntrl shelter. All f these factrs lead t bth human and animal welfare issues Human Welfare 基于人类福利 Dgs are the vectr fr 98% f all human rabies cases Mre than 55,000 peple die f rabies every year: mainly in pr areas The majrity f victims are children Every rabies death is preventable Mass vaccinatin f the reservir species (dgs) is the nly way t eliminate rabies Raming dgs can be a nuisance - nise, fuling, damaging prperty, killing livestck and wildlife Raming dgs threaten human safety by being a majr cause f traffic accidents Animal Welfare 基于动物福利 A typical raming dg may suffer frm:

2 Malnutritin and lack f clean water Skin disease - High (75%) puppy mrtality rate Agnising diseases - rabies, parvvirus, tumurs Injuries/death frm traffic cllisins Fear, aggressin, and cmpetitin Dg shelters acrss the wrld perate at maximum capacity in an attempt t deal with the effect f verbreeding, and millins f dgs are euthanised annually as hmes will never be fund fr them. In the USA alne the Humane Sciety f the United States estimate sme 6-8 millin dgs enter animal shelters each year and 3-4 millin f these dgs are euthanised annually. The desire t prduce the maximum number f puppies fr sale and the desire t sell puppies quickly can lead t the welfare f dgs in breeding establishments and retail establishments t be severely affected. In many cases such establishments have been called puppy farms. Dgs are bred in appalling cnditins purely fr prfit with a ttal disregard fr the health and welfare f bth the adult dgs and puppies. Adult bitches are kept in small pens with little r n access t daylight, n scial cntact with ther dgs r ther humans and n space t exercise r play. They are bred cntinuusly until they becme t ld and are then discarded. Puppies bred under such intensive cnditins ften suffer frm genetic abnrmalities and ther health-related issues. Puppies are frequently remved frm their mthers when they are t yung, leading t further ptential health and behaviural issues. Puppies bred in such intensive cnditins are ften sld thrugh newspaper adverts, via the internet, at pet shps r in pet superstres. T address the issues f ver breeding leading t abandnment, and the pr welfare f dgs at breeding and retail establishments regulatins are necessary. The AVMA says: Dgs in many breeding and retail establishments are currently left unprtected, thus regulatins shuld prvide assurance f acceptable animal care fr dgs and t ensure all dgs sld/distributed t the public are prtected, irrespective f facility type (i.e. dgs are deserving f a minimum standard f care whether bred/raised/distributed by breeders, shelters r animal cntrl facilities (AVMA Apr 2010) Regulatin 监管制度

3 Regulatins need t prvide an assurance f acceptable animal care fr dgs at breeding and retail establishments: Animals Asia recmmends authrities develp bth resurce based and perfrmance based standards fr breeding and retail establishments. Resurce based standards address the animals physical envirnment i.e. a minimum cage space a dg must be prvided depending upn its size/breed. Perfrmance standards measure hw a dg s welfare is impacted by a given envirnment. If the perfrmance standards are high a dg s general physical and behaviural cnditin will be gd. Regulatins shuld include 监管制度应包括 : minimum space requirements t allw a dg freedm t mve and assume nrmal pstures the prvisin f slid flring the prvisin f an area fr dgs t retreat and rest the prvisin f a whelping bx fr pregnant dgs requirements fr scialisatin, critical fr the psychlgical develpment f puppies including bth human and dg-dg scialisatin. Research at Queensland University int scialisatin f puppies fund litters frm registered breeders receive better scializatin cmpared t litters frm nn-registered breeders. the prvisin f envirnmental enrichment: i.e. prviding dgs with apprpriate bjects such as tys and chewing substrates, items f furniture r platfrms. prviding dgs with the pprtunity fr lcmtry activity n a daily basis: this can be achieved by prviding walks r an exercise area where spntaneus activity can take place. Regular rutine and preventative veterinary care: facilities shuld develp standard prtcls fr rutine veterinary care, including examinatin by a licensed veterinarian, a vaccinatin schedule, and parasitic cntrl: Husing a large number f dgs in a facility withut strict sanitatin and preventative healthcare practices can prmte the spread f infectius diseases, cnditins which create unnecessary stress can pse health risks t bth dgs and peple. The prvisin f detailed veterinary recrds fr each dg Daily health and welfare checks t ensure individual dg s general health, behaviur and welfare are assessed daily.

4 Regulatins need t ensure that breeding and retail establishments have the apprpriate resurces, facilities and trained staff t care fr the animals they are respnsible fr. Dg Breeding, Sale & Kenneling Permits Any persn wishing t perate an animal establishment, breed and/r sell adult dgs r puppies must btain a permit frm the gverning authrity. Permits shuld be issued fllwing an assessment f the facilities t be used fr breeding and selling dgs (criteria fr such facilities shuld be develped based n the health and welfare needs f bth adult dgs and puppies) Permits shuld be issued upn payment f a fee depending upn the type f establishment: Kennel Fee (classificatin system fr size f the establishment) Pet shp fee Other animal establishment fee N permit fee shuld be required f animal shelters. Renewal permits shuld be issued annually fllwing a further inspectin f the facility Penalties Dg wners, breeders and sellers wh mistreat r abandn their dgs shuld be subject t a fine and prhibitin frm raising, breeding r selling dgs fr a set time perid. Dg breeders and sellers perating withut a permit shuld receive a mnetary fine and/r subsequent ban n raising, breeding and selling dgs. An increasing number f regulatry authrities internatinally are develping regulatins n dg breeders and retailers. USA 美国 In 2008 the State f Pennsylvania develped a dg breeding and retail law which is said t be ne f the strictest dg breeding laws in the USA. The new regulatin stipulates minimum cage sizes, requires establishments t prvide veterinary care and twice yearly veterinary checks, exercise perids, requires breeders t install multiple ventilatin units t meet minimum air quality standards and bans wire flring amngst a hst f additinal measures. The laws were develped t cntrl the number f puppy mills perating in the state and

5 the number f cmmercial kennels in Pennsylvania plummeted frm 303 at the beginning f 2009 t 111 tday. UK 英国 The Breeding f Dgs Act 1973, the Breeding f Dgs Act 1991 and the Breeding and Sale f Dgs (Welfare) Act 1999 Anyne wh is in the business f breeding and selling dgs requires a licence frm the lcal authrity under the Breeding f Dgs Act 1973 and the Breeding and Sale f Dgs (Welfare) Act The lcal authrity has discretin whether t grant a licence and must ensure that the animals will be suitably accmmdated, fed, exercised and prtected frm disease and fire. It is fr lcal authrities, wh have extensive pwers t check n the standards f health, welfare and accmmdatin f the animals, t enfrce the requirements f the Act. Lcal authrities can btain a warrant t enter any premises, excluding a private dwelling huse, in which it is believed that a dg breeding business is being carried ut. All utbuildings, garages and sheds are pen t inspectin. Accurate breeding recrds must be maintained by the establishment fr tighter cntrls n the sale f dgs by dealers and pet shp; fr identificatin fr traded dgs; Bitches are nt t be mated until they are at least 12 mnths ld. N bitch is permitted t have mre than 6 litters in ttal. Bitches must nt give birth t puppies within 12 mnths f prducing a previus litter. All first time licences must invlve the inspectin f the premises by a vet and the lcal authrity. Subsequent inspectins may be by the lcal authrity alne thugh they may call a vet if necessary. A licensed breeder must nt sell a dg t a member f the public if he/she believes that persn will then sell the dg n t anther individual. Dgs must nt be sld less than 8 weeks f age ther than t a licensed pet shp.

6 All dgs shuld be vaccinated s as t prevent and cntrl the spread f infectius r cntagius diseases. In practice, this means that all dgs shuld be vaccinated against: Canine Distemper; Infectius Canine hepatitis; Leptspirsis; Canine parvvirus. Cnclusin 结论 By implementing and enfrcing such regulatins fr dg breeding and retail establishments the number f dgs being bred and sld can be mnitred and cntrlled fewer unwanted & raming dgs will result in less dg bites and therefre less injuries t peple a reductin in nise, fuling, prperty damage and ptential death f livestck and wildlife less rad traffic accidents the welfare f dgs and puppies can be mnitred and imprved Regular inspectins and audits will allw management prblems t be identified at an early stage befre they have a serius negative impact n the health and welfare f animals, and will facilitate the implementatin f new management regulatins t address such issues; The develpment f a register f all breeding and retail facilities within a given cmmunity will aid disseminatin f infrmatin and subsequently aid the management f establishments fr the benefit f animal welfare; Facilities perating illegally r cnsistently nt meeting the minimum standards can be clsed and prcedures develped fr the subsequent care f the animals.