Commercial breeding kennels among worst offenders

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This article was published 06/09/2008 (6599 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THE province is considering improvements to its Animal Care Act because officials know there are gaps in the legislation.

Currently one of the ways the office of the chief veterinary officer controls dog-breeding operations in the province is with a licensing system. To sell dogs for commercial purposes, a breeder must be licensed by the province.

Part of the licence application is having a veterinarian inspect the kennel, which must meet standards set out by the Animal Care Act based on recommendations of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. These include space, nutrition, ventilation, sanitation and exercise requirements. If the operation meets standards, the province issues a licence good for three years.

Breeding five or more litters a year requires a commercial licence. Three or four litters requires a hobby breeding licence. The difference in those licences is cost, not standards.

“If you fall under the limit of two litters a year, we don’t regulate that,” said Dr. Wayne Lees, Manitoba’s chief veterinary officer. “There may be a number of people who have a dog and want to breed it and put their dogs online. We don’t get involved unless there is a humane or welfare issue.”

Inspections are carried out only at the time of licensing or renewal unless someone complains through the province’s animal-care hotline.

“When they reapply for a licence, they have to go through another reinspection. If there is a complaint, we investigate immediately. It doesn’t matter whether you are a commercial breeder or a hobby breeder or if you have one dog, we follow up on each and every complaint we receive,” said Lees.

This summer, the province hired a student to spot-check licensed kennels, a recognition the system was falling short. Lees said the student visited 30 licensed operations: 14 commercial operations, nine hobby breeding kennels and seven boarding kennels.

While he would not provide specific results, Lees said cleanliness and inadequate record-keeping — mainly health records and sales documentation — were the two most common deficiencies.

Commercial breeding kennels were in the worst condition, followed by hobby breeders, then boarding kennels.

“That gives us a reasonable picture where we need to concentrate efforts. Commercial breeding — more than five litters a year — those are probably the folks who need to have a bit more oversight.”

Currently, the province has licensed 119 operations.

When his office receives a complaint, Lees contacts that breeder, discusses it by phone and decides if follow-up is required. If it is, the province sends an animal-protection officer to investigate.

“One of three things happens — the complaint is dismissed if there is no basis for it, we issue a follow-up inspection and issue recommendations for the owner, and if the situation is really bad, we will seize the animals.”

Lees said when the three-year licence expires, his office notifies the breeder it is time to renew. If the breeder says the operation is out of business, Lees’ office requires that in writing.

“I can’t say we follow up on each and every one. We simply don’t have the people available to follow up on people who don’t renew,” said Lees.

selena.hinds@freepress.mb.ca