ITV Tonight programme - should be a must watch....

[BeeBee]

....for anyone who cares about puppy welfare, buying and selling.

The producer of this programme was in touch with me in the early stages (I was flattered!) and I know its going to be a good expose of the reality of the UK puppy industry. Undercover footage which has been dangerous to film, is included and it won't shirk from the nasty reality that drives people like me to keep going on about the issue, even when people would rather not hear or see it and just enjoy their cute little dogs.

Im hoping it'll be available online afterwards as Ive been looking forward to it for weeks and am now out of the country!

http://www.radiotimes.com/episode/czkvm ... de-tonight

[Claire Farrington]

Have set it up to record ;)

[terryc]

me to!!

[Maty]

Will be watching

[Champ629]

I was also contacted by the Producer some time ago and provided information relating to her research.

Looking forward to seeing the programme

[Champ629]

Any thoughts on the programme?

The dog dealer looked the same and used the same old sales pitch as he did when we met him 7 years ago, sadly in the eyes of the law he is doing nothing wrong and so he is allowed to continue.

[Claire Farrington]

I just find it so so sad, those poor dogs. I was shocked at the amount being brought into the country from abroad, just frightening. How could that lady that bought that puppy not know it had fleas' it was so infested it was severely ill, I just don't know anymore

[Jules]

I am not sure the programme really packed the punch that it needed to.Perhaps as it was on before watershed time. It appeared to be brief information exercise for "general public".
More depth to the issue surrounding health issues on "internet dogs" would have been helpful. The #wheresmum campaign is so important but again I felt the opportunity to share with the public was missed. Unfortunately people still think paying £300 for a puppy is better than what the "usual "price is. What they don't realise is really where the puppy comes from and the probable health issues the puppy will have.
We are a supposed modern society yet our rules and regulations don't back that up. The puppy farmers and even the "licensed" breeders need to be made aware that previous ways of "farming" are no longer acceptable, right or legal.
It was a positive start though.

Jules

[Maty]

Sadly I didn't think it was hard hitting enough

But if it makes some people think about where they are buying a pup from it has done some good.

Rodders breeder interviewed me for an hour on the phone during that time she told me that she would decide if I could have one of her puppies once she had seen me with them, talked to me for a further 30 minutes before letting me near the puppies, allowed me to spend an hour with them and as she was seeing me out the door told me I would be allowed one of them if I still wanted one. I felt as though I had passed some sort of test and nearly did cartwheels done her drive But that really is the lengths people should go to before parting with their pups. I this programme they just wanted rid as long as they got paid, which is all wrong

Thankfully, Creggans wonderful breeders had got to know me via the forum before I had even thought about getting a pup so I wasn't put through quite so much torture, but I am in no doubt that they would have said I couldn't have him if they had thought he would not have been much loved and cared for Even Rodders managed to get the OK from them as a potential brofur

[jacdales]

When my husband and I bought our first airedale 30 yrs ago we met the breeders at a dog show chatted for ages then we had to visit them once a week while the bitch was pregnant and learn how to groom and care for the adult dog this continued after the pups were born and we still didn't know if we were to get a pup until it was 8 weeks old we had to sign a contract that the dog would be returned to them if something happened and we could no longer keep him/her. We kept in touch and became life long friends and as each dog grew old and left us the breeder put us first on her list for future pups knowing they were on their way to a good safe happy place. They even gave me a prize show dog who could no longer be shown he'd developed a fear of big echoey halls after one of my dogs died at 9 yrs and I didn't have the time to train a puppy. They trusted me to look after this boy and Mr Mac is still very much my special big boy and Hamish my special we boy

[terryc]

One thing that annoyed me was the ''UK chief Vet'', the presenter gave him some facts and figures and straight way......he passed the buck to the local councils ''They know whats best for their area''. He has all that evidence and didnt say a word.....plonker!!
As as the poster above said, those poor dogs, in those filthy conditions. Makes you want to do something nasty to those so called ''breeders''. What can we do???

[BeeBee]

One thing that annoyed me was the ''UK chief Vet'', the presenter gave him some facts and figures and straight way......he passed the buck to the local councils ''They know whats best for their area''. He has all that evidence and didnt say a word.....plonker!!
As as the poster above said, those poor dogs, in those filthy conditions. Makes you want to do something nasty to those so called ''breeders''. What can we do???

I haven't seen the programme, but this is very typical, the buck gets passed round by all the authorities and agencies that could and should be doing something. They all say it's someone else's responsibility. The laws are there, but they are not tough enough and often are left as guidelines, not with legal/criminal weight, so councils can choose what they enforce or don't. This has to change.
What we can all do now, as a matter of urgency, is get our own MPs to attend the debate on 4 September which aims to bring in changes to the sale of dogs by third parties. Laws won't come in as a swift result of the debate, but it is an important start at making MPs know that this matters to their constituents. Many are fobbing people off with standard replies saying animal welfare laws are already in place. Well if you get a response like that - as I did initially - go back to your MP agreeing but saying they are clearly not sufficient if programmes like yesterdays can be filmed and newspaper articles can continue to show raids on puppy farms. These touch the tip of a massive iceberg of misery. What MPs need to know, and engage with, is the sale of puppies needs to be tighter regulated as that way, the market becomes tougher for the bad breeders. If no dogs can be sold by third parties - eg in pet shops or by dealers - which is what is happening with the puppies bred by people like those in the programme last night, because it is illegal, not just something people don't like, it will dry up what is at the moment, a very easy market.

There is a simple template for a letter or email to MPs on the Pup Aid website here
http://www.pupaid.org/

My advice is also, find out who your MP is, see if they're on facebook or twitter if you are and engage them publicly there, as well as privately by email and letter. The more public they have to give their responses, the more they are held to account. Polite, but firm and persistent will get them to take notice.