LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
I WOULD like to respond to the letter to editor headed ‘Puppy farm attitudes irrational’ by Wendy West.
There are too many dogs in shelters because of puppy farms mass producing.
Designer dog Cavoodles are crossed with poodles and cavaliers.
Both can suffer from heart, brain and eye diseases, requiring testing of breeding dogs.
Temperament determines a good pet these are all hereditary.
Large farmers have no resources to test, as they have 500-plus dogs on the property.
Dogs are not livestock.
They are domesticated, needing human interaction and training.
Puppy farms that must comply with council-enforced rules regarding care.
Australian National Kennel Council hobby breeders (registered Dogs Victoria) give a lifetime guarantee, trial period and refund.
They will re-home years later, breeding for a purpose not the pet market.
The ones that don’t fit that criteria are sold as nice, healthy pets.
They answer to Dogs Victoria with a code of ethics.
They are not allowed to give to pet shops or shelters, losing more money than they make.
Puppy farms and pet shops give as little as 10 days guarantee and often no refund.
There’s often no knowledge to help with ongoing breed problems or training.
Pups often aren’t desexed, so the mass producing cycle continues.
Shelters have recycled pets. They will interview, finding suitable homes.
If dogs were not mass produced there would be no need for shelters.
Puppy farmers often produce pedigree dogs, so it’s important to choose breeders wisely, ones that test and breed for a purpose, not profit.
Shelter dogs are tested too.
People who are against puppy farms are not all crazy animal activists Wendy, they are normal people who love animals.
There is a lot of suffering, two legged and four legged, all for the sake of profit.
This legislation will take care of the puppy farmers once and for all.
