The DOGS NSW Media & Government Legislation Committee is calling for those members who have been audited by the RSPCA. If you have experienced this process, it would be appreciated if you could please forward your name and member number details only to the Committee via email to lhadley@dogsnsw.org.au.
Please be assured that DOGS NSW is working emphatically to assist its members to deal with the issues that have arisen as a result of the DPI/RSPCA Breeder Compliance Audits. The Media & Government Legislation Committee is correlating a list of DOGS NSW members who have been audited in an attempt to prove to the DPI and the RSPCA that these breeders are hobby breeders, breeders very few litters per year, and not animal traders and, therefore, should be exempt from the current Breeder Compliance Audit regime.
The Media & Government Legislation Committee have attached the following documents to assist members in understanding and dealing with the RSPCA Breeder Audits:-
• Email from Mr H Gent OAM to DOGS NSW President – RSPCA requiring Breeders to have dry powder fire extinguishers
• Letter from Director M Arthur to the Member for Lake Macquarie expressing his concerns regarding the RSPCA breeder audits
• Breeding Dogs/Cats Checklist
DOGS NSW Media & Government Legislation Committee has released the attached urgent notices to all Members regarding the RSPCA Breeder Audits.
Click here to view the DOGS NSW Statement on RSPCA Breeder Audits.
Click here to view NSW Legislated Enforcement Bodies statement.
Earlier this year, DOGS NSW sought advice, from the Office of the Children’s Guardian, in respect of whether our Judges, including Junior Handler Judges, were required by law to obtain Working With Children Checks. That advice included advice as to who is “exempt” from this requirement. The advice and the list of exemptions can be found via the following links.
1. Correspondence - Response to WWCC Enquiry from Company Secretary
2. Part 4, Clause 20 of the Child Protection (Working With Children) Regulation 2013 - (In particular, your attention is drawn to the information contained in page 2 of the list of exemptions, in particular under Part 2 of the Child Protection (Working With Children) Regulation 2013, Clause 7(3), which is highlighted in yellow).
The new plan of the grounds is now finally complete and the amended map of the entire grounds can be viewed by clicking here. The area we no longer include is approximately 100 metres down to the creek and then up the other side to Mamre Road. This area is designated as Cumberland Forest and will be reclaimed as such.
DOGS NSW are now taking pre orders for the FURSAFE Emergency First Aid Kits, specifically developed for dogs. Every dog owner should have one on hand, coupled with the Emergency Dog First Aid Guide.
The FURSAFE Emergency Dog First Aid Kits are $65.00 and the Emergency Dog First Aid Guides are $29.95 + postage.
To view the Emergency Dog First Aid Kit's contents, please click here. To view the Emergency First Aid Guide's content material please click here.
If interested in ordering, please click here to download the order form. Credit card and direct deposit transactions only.
DOGS NSW Office will soon have a limited supply of the FURSAFE Emergency Dog First Aid Kits and Guides available at reception, so you can order and then pick up when notified.
DOGS NSW has now registered the following Trademarks:-
• ROYAL NEW SOUTH WALES CANINE COUNCIL LIMITED
• DOGS NSW
Consequently, it should be noted that the use of the above names requires formal approval by the Royal NSW Canine Council (trading as DOGS NSW) prior to use in any form.
Realising that bitches were mated or whelped prior to the introduction of travel and social distancing restrictions, the CHWC hopes that the following advice will help in the process of transferring puppies to their new owners.
In addition the ANKC has received many inquiries in regard to continuation of breeding during this time of Government limitations, this of course is a personal choice but the ANKC recommends that before you mate a bitch, you give serious consideration to difficulties that may be encountered in relocating puppies to their new homes, transporting puppies both inter and intrastate can be a problem as are limited flights between states.
COVID 19 – the basics
COVID 19 is one of a large group of Corona viruses that affect many species. These viruses, like most, are generally species specific and rarely transfer to or affect any other species.
Both dogs and cats have corona viruses, but these are genetically very far removed from COVID 19. There has been no recorded transfer of dog and cat Corona viruses to humans and vice versa.
Socialising during the COVID 19 pandemic
Because of the limited movement and social distancing of people during the COVID 19 lockdown, breeders will have to be more inventive with their puppy socialisation, particularly if there are no children around.
Lots of play activity, try having different outfits, hats, noises, toys; most of which are usually done anyway. Take a few puppies out at a time in a trolley or pram to walk around the park or the block to see different places, people running past etc.
Do more one on one handling, particularly in those breeds that really need the individualisation (GSD, Rottweiler, etc). Stress to new owners that they will need to keep up this socialisation after they leave your care.
Placing a Puppy during COVID 19 – Safety Advice
1. Do most of your normal checks, talking to prospective owners by phone, email, Facebook etc, ahead of time. Send photos, videos of the puppies, how they are being kept and raised, shots of the parents etc.
2. Check the credentials of the new owners, safe yards and fencing, members of the family, young children etc. Give copies of the relevant health certificates to people you expect to take a puppy. Have your puppy pack ready with dietary advice, spare puppy food, vaccination certificates etc, all ready to go before people arrive to see the puppy (or puppies).
3. Explain to prospective owners ahead of time what to expect. Ask whether anyone has had contact with anyone with COVID 19 or whether they have a cold or flu. Ask that older and/or compromised people and young children do not come to view the puppies. Only allow 1-2 people to come at any one time. Have everyone use a hand sanitizer or soap and water before handling the puppies.
4. Put the puppies to be viewed in a playpen, preferably outside, where the puppies can be placed into before the people arrive. Limit the number of puppies brought out. Prospective owners can then handle the puppies without direct contact with you. Any puppies not going can be wiped over with disinfectant (or washed) after the other puppy has gone.
5. Have all the paperwork ready, if anything needs signing, use a pen that they can then keep or you wipe it down with disinfectant/hand sanitiser. Keep the time spent with prospective owners to a minimum. Wash your hands and all open surfaces around the puppy area after the people leave.
6. With the restrictions on travel and only for essential business, it becomes quite difficult to sell puppies and comply with the necessary requirements. All the advice that we can give is how to limit your exposure to the virus when people come to view puppies.
[Note: It has been brought to our attention that in some jurisdictions people visiting your home, to pick up a puppy may be considered to be non-essential and therefore a finable offence, please check you State or Territory COVID 19 Regulations before arranging for puppies to be viewed or picked up.]
Dr. Karen Hedberg BV.Sc
Chairperson
ANKC Ltd Health and Wellbeing Committee
Proposal
ANKC Ltd is seeking the views of Golden Retriever owners if they wish to have Litter Registration Limitations in respect to Elbow Dysplasia, Progressive Retinal Atrophy and Hereditary Cataracts.
Rationale
Elbow Dysplasia:
Heritable elbow dysplasia is an orthopaedic disorder that results in the abnormal development of the elbow joint. These developmental anomalies can be associated with pain, forelimb lameness, and reluctance to extend or flex the elbow joint.
Several large studies have examined the genetic basis of elbow dysplasia, which appears to be inherited differently in different breeds. To complicate matters further, there is evidence that the different diseases of elbow dysplasia could be inherited independently. The differences in inheritance suggest that elbow dysplasia is a common end point for a variety of genetic disorders which disturb elbow development through various mechanisms.
Because of the complexity of inheritance and the effects of environmental variables in disease expression, it is unlikely that genetic testing for elbow dysplasia will be possible in the foreseeable future. Despite the ability to treat affected dogs, there is no satisfactory medical protocol or surgical procedure to significantly alter the progression or cure the disorder. This makes it increasingly important to reduce the incidence of the disease through selective breeding. Selectively breeding phenotypically normal individuals has been shown to reduce the incidence of the disorder.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy
Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is a group of inherited eye disorders that is characterised by vision loss due to degeneration of the photoreceptor cells in the retina, eventually leading to complete blindness. The mode of inheritance appears to be consistent with autosomal recessive and the age of diagnosis is most commonly at approximately 5 years of age. The Golden Retriever is on Schedule 1 of ACES and has more than one genetic form of PRA and it is thought that PRA can be caused by at least four different mutations three of which have been reported and account for approximately 91% of the cases in the breed (prcd-PRA (<1% of cases), GR_PRA1 (61% of cases) and GR_PRA2 (30% of cases) The genetic explanation for approximately 9% of cases remains to be identified. Patented commercial genetic tests are available for prcd-PRA, GR_PRA1 and GR_PRA2 forms of PRA. These tests identify those dogs with one copy of the mutation (carrier) and dogs with two copies of the mutation (affected). By ensuring that at least one parent is Normal/Clear of GR_PRA1, GR_PRA2 or pcrd-PRA then no GR_PRA1/pcrd-PRA/GR_PRA2 affected offspring will be produced in a mating. Because genetic tests are not available for approximately 9% of PRA cases in the Golden Retriever a yearly eye examination by a veterinary ophthalmologist is important to reduce the incidence of the disease through selective breeding.
Hereditary cataracts
Cataract is defined as any opacity of the lens or its capsule. There are many reasons for cataract formation, fortunately, the age of onset, appearance and evolution of hereditary cataracts are quite specific, enabling inherited cataracts to be distinguished from other non-inherited types of cataract.
Hereditary cataracts are a Schedule 1 disease for the Golden Retriever. Studies suggest that hereditary cataracts might be a complex disease, possibly involving several genes that might act independently or together with the environment to influence the development of hereditary cataracts. Since non-hereditary cataracts also occur, an examination by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist is necessary to determine if the cataract is suspected to be hereditary.
Quite apart from the undesirable perpetuation of abnormality within breeding lines, a proportion of inherited cataracts progress to produce visual impairment and blindness. Selective breeding of clear stock is important to lower the incidence of hereditary cataracts in the golden retriever.
Breeders of litters whelped on or after 1st January, 2020, will be required to comply with the above requirements as a prerequisite to registration of any litter on the ANKC Ltd Main Register. Dogs must be positively identified by microchip prior to being x-rayed and examined. Litters which do not meet the above requirements will only be able to be placed on the Limited Register and will be flagged not to be upgraded.
The survey can be undertaken here
A survey was conducted by ANKC Ltd earlier this year to ascertain the feedback from all owners of registered Labrador Retrievers in relation to the Minimum Breeding Age for Labrador bitches being 18 months at the time of mating (unless a veterinary certificate is produced stating that for health reasons the bitch should be mated before 18 months). The response received indicated support.
As this was an amendment to current regulations, the result of the survey was referred to the ANKC Board of Directors for consideration at their October 2019 Special Board meeting where it was endorsed.
As a consequence the following new clause will be added to Regulations Part 6 – The Register & Registration which will be effective from 1 January, 2020:
8.12.2 The Minimum Breeding Age for Labrador Retriever bitches must be 18 months at the time of mating (unless a veterinary certificate is produced stating that for health reasons the bitch should be mated before 18 months). Breeders of litters whelped on or after 1st June, 2020, will be required to comply with the requirements as a prerequisite to registration of any litter on the ANKC Ltd Main Register. Litters which do not meet the above requirements will only be able to be placed on the Limited Register and will be flagged not to be upgraded.
Tracey Barry
Administrator
