Breed Club STILL Recommending Healthy Puppies Be Killed - Kennel Club ‘Extremely Concerned’
A couple of weeks ago we reported that the Rhodesian Ridgeback club of Great Britain was encouraging its members to ‘cull’ puppies born without a ridge.
Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies don’t need the ridge to be healthy, in fact some evidence suggests the ridgeless examples are actually genetically predisposed to be healthier dogs, it is purely a breed ’standard’ that demands Ridgebacks have the line of fur running in the opposite direction along the dog’s back.
At the time of reporting this sick, callous call to action from the breed club, we asked the Kennel Club what their position was.
We were told:
“The Kennel Club has recently written to the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Great Britain regarding the code of ethics and asked them to remove the clause requiring the culling of ridgeless puppies. We are currently considering their response.”
A few weeks on and the breed club in question is still publishing the following on its website:
7. Any mismarked puppies shall be described as such and sold as “not to be shown or bred from.” This shall be reflected in the price. Ridgeless puppies shall be culled at birth
So we asked the Kennel Club to update us on their position as the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Great Britain is a Kennel Club affiliated breed club and is blatantly and seeming unashamedly encouraging breeders to kill healthy puppies in the name of a ‘breed standard’.
The Kennel Club’s latest position, courtesy of Caroline Kisco (KC secretary)
“The Kennel Club is still dealing with the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of Great Britain and is extremely concerned and very disappointed about its code of ethics”
Let us hope ‘dealing’ with this particular breed club means, quite simply, ordering they change this barbaric, stomach churning, ludicrously outdated ‘advice’ to kill puppies or be struck off as a Kennel Club affiliated breed club.
This type of instruction reflects horribly on the world of pedigree dogs as a whole and it absolutely has to stop. Now.
If you feel strongly about this issue, feel free to contact the breed club directly
Membership Secretary
Mr John Parrott
6 Coltsfoot, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire SG18 8SR
Telephone : 01767 310123
We are in 2008. We should NOT be advising breeders to kill puppies because of the lack of a line of fur on their backs.
