A vet has branded Britain’s recent ‘puppy boom’ ‘extremely worrying’, claiming the high demand for dogs during the pandemic is encouraging dangerous and damaging breeding methods.
The cost of a puppy rocketed during lockdown last year, with Dogs Trust reporting that buyers were being charged ‘extortionate’ record prices.
Birmingham-based vet Fabian Rivers presents a new BBC Three documentary – Britain’s Puppy Boom: Counting the Cost – which sends an undercover reporter to a canine fertility course in Manchester.
Shocking footage from the course, which is offered on behalf of a business called SmartBreeder – which disputes the claims made by the programme-maker – shows a dog trainer called Dave Holt – whom the documentary says is not a registered vet or veterinary nurse – teaching amateur participants how to take blood from a dog.
This, the documentary claims, is despite the fact that everyone taking part in the course is required to sign the company’s terms and conditions which acknowledges in writing that this should only ever be done by a vet or veterinary nurse.
Shocking footage from the course, which is offered on behalf of a business called SmartBreeder, shows a dog trainer called Dave Holt – who the documentary claims is not a registered vet or veterinary nurse – teaching amateur participants how to take blood from a dog (pictured with the syringe in his mouth)
In the footage he insisted you ‘can’t do any damage’ with the needle he used, unless you ‘push air into the vein’ – but admitted he’s ‘not supposed to do it’.
During the course Mr Holt also recommended giving dogs human contraceptive pills to boost their chances of having bigger litters, and at one point broke good hygiene practice by putting the sterile syringe in his mouth.
Fabian showed the footage to show Mike Jessop, a fellow at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and a dog breeding expert, who said taking blood samples is ‘crossing the line’.
‘It’s completely wrong to say you can’t cause any damage with that. Needles are dangerous items and they will cause damage.
‘Running close to that vein down the leg is an associated nerve and an associated artery. If it hit that nerve and damaged it, it could have led to paralysis of that dog’s leg.
A vet points out that should Mr Holt hit a nerve and damage it with the needle, it could paralyse the dog’s leg (left). Right: Mr Holt demonstrating artificial insemination
During the course Mr Holt also recommended giving dogs human contraceptive pills to boost their chances of having bigger litters, according to the documentary
Birmingham-based vet Fabian Rivers presents a new BBC Three documentary – Britain’s Puppy Boom: Counting the Cost
‘Taking blood samples is crossing the line. People have paid money to come along to this course, in the belief that this is some sort of accredited respected course, and are being taught illegal practice, and he’s making plenty of reference to the fact he shouldn’t be doing this, and yet here he is training a whole group of people on exactly what he tells them they shouldn’t be doing.’
Speaking about Mr Holt’s advice to give dogs the women’s mini pill – which he also acknowledges during the course ‘isn’t legal’ before laughing – Mike added: ‘This is a real concern. Absolutely illegal, that’s breaking all sorts of laws.
‘Here we have someone advocating the use of unlicensed products, human products for use on a dog when no one knows what the long-term consequences of that would be.
‘He shouldn’t be playing around as though medicines and these potent drugs are some sort of sweeties that he can drop in and alter nature as he wants to.’
Fabian showed the footage to show Mike Jessop, a fellow at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and a dog breeding expert, who said taking blood samples is ‘crossing the line’
A study from Pets4Homes, one of the UK’s largest online pet marketplaces, found the cost of popular puppy breeds has trebled. Small breeds such as French Bulldogs, Cavapoos and Cockapoos have become exceedingly favourable with people now feeling they finally have time to care for new dogs while working from home.
The documentary discovered breeds including dachshunds and bulldogs have become so in-demand that some puppies go for as much as £30,000.
The inflated prices has led to more people breeding dogs, driving the relatively new industry of canine fertility, with a proliferation of clinics offering artificial insemination services for dogs and new training courses, teaching people how to do AI.
The documentary discovered breeds including dachshunds and bulldogs have become so in-demand that some puppies go for as much as £30,000
Fabian believes the fact that canine fertility courses don’t have an official regulatory body is problematic, providing a ‘grey area’ that is ‘allowing for these procedures’.
He added that the soaring value of dogs – which has in turn led to a rise in dog thefts and pet insurance premiums – has made them into ‘commodities’.
‘It takes away that level of humanity that we apply to animals as family members… It’s a real cause for concern. It’s extremely worrying for the future,’ he said.
In the documentary Fabian also speaks to the RSPCA about the growing problem of dogs having their ears cropped, which has become popular with bulldog breeds – partly fuelled by social media trends – and highlights how barbaric and damaging this practice is.
In the documentary Fabian also speaks to the RSPCA about the growing problem of dogs having their ears cropped, which has become popular with bulldog breeds
The RSCPA said it has seen complaints about cropping jump by more than 600 per cent in the last six years.
SmartBreeder disputed the evidence in the documentary but did not give a statement. They claimed Dave Holt provides the canine fertility course through his own business. Dave Holt did not respond to a request for comment.
The material from the documentary is being reported to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Trading Standards and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate for further investigation.