Any News in the National Press re: Margaret C?

[*Pauline*]

I just got a copy

[Aileen]

I just read in on the internet love the photo and very well writen
--Aileen and the gang (Barney--Jazzie---Jake)

[Shelli]

Just got my copy...and boy was it hard to find!! Great photo of Margaret and her dogs and a very matter-of-fact article. Hopefully this will raise even more awareness of what has been going on.

[Lisa_T]

I'm glad to see this. I was surprised last week when no paper took up the story - I was half contemplating dropping a line to the Daily Mail to prod them in Margaret's direction!

[Maxxs_Mummy]

Just a shame it appeared in one of the 'better' newspapers rather than the Daily scum (The Sun) as those are the people more likely to be going out buying cavaliers from so called 'reputable breeders'.

Good article though and Margaret will come out on top. I think it also exposes what a lot of us already know. That the show world is full of bad breeders who only care about rosettes and once the dogs stop winning or are no longer making them money from breeding then they rehome them to 'pet homes'.

I actually bought Maxx to show but when it transpired that due to a health problem I couldn't, I didn't care. He was and always will be my very special baby. I've offered to take one of his breeder's older dogs on more than one occasion but she, like me loves them too much and won't part with any of them.

[*Pauline*]

Just a shame it appeared in one of the 'better' newspapers rather than the Daily scum (The Sun) as those are the people more likely to be going out buying cavaliers from so called 'reputable breeders'.

I understand you are upset, I am too, but this can happen to anyone regardless. Many people never heard of SM before the documentary was aired. I feel the fault lies with the breeders, the public are ignorant of the facts as it's hushed up.

[Maxxs_Mummy]

I understand you are upset, I am too, but this can happen to anyone regardless. Many people never heard of SM before the documentary was aired. I feel the fault lies with the breeders, the public are ignorant of the facts as it's hushed up.

Maxx was diagnosed over three years ago. Luckily, I had the support of his wonderful breeder who was as horrified as I was. She had kept 2 of his brothers but as they hadn't sired any pups at that point, she wasn't going to let them, just in case.

My point was that it was a shame that the article wasn't in a paper like the Sun as more of the general public buy that sort of paper rather than the 'middle class' papers like the Times, Telegraph etc. To my mind, it is more likely to be a member of this group of people (nothing personal meant here to anyone) ie: 'the man in the street' who are going to go and buy a Cavalier from a so called reputable breeder who will then deny all knowledge of SM being in their line etc, etc, etc.

I've heard it and dealt with it time and time again when people have emailed me to try and find out how to cope with these poor babies and help to manage their pain. I have seen and heard of far too many cavaliers being lost to this disease over the last 3 years that it mortifies me I can now see why a lot of really good breeders won't have anything to do with the Cavalier club & don't have a lot of confidence in the KC either. Both organisations will just close ranks and put up brick walls when asked to do something. I was therefore astounded when the KC made the announcement backing Margaret last week.

I have a feeling that I will again be dealing with them this week, over another sensitive issue.

[Alison_Leighfield]

won't we both....a very sensitive issue...

Alison.

[Jan Bell]

I can now see why a lot of really good breeders won't have anything to do with the Cavalier club & don't have a lot of confidence in the KC either. Both organisations will just close ranks and put up brick walls when asked to do something. I was therefore astounded when the KC made the announcement backing Margaret last week.

As were a lot of us!

But I wonder if by not joining the CKCS Club the responsible breeders were really doing the breed much of a favour. Ditto pet owners (myself included) who may have joined but never watched what was going on. Surely this leaves the Club to those 200+ members who voted Margaret out? Either more people have to become involved, or we need a new Club! The good breeders need to be supported.

I do agree with your point about the more widely circulated papers. The more people who read about this the better. The CKCS Club members who voted Margaret out are kidding themselves if they think that their recent behaviour has done anything to endear them to the average pet owner (or responsible breeder). On the other hand, the very factual report in the Telegraph did avoid the charge of sensationalism.

As for the Kennel Club, well, I can't say I have been impressed with them in the past, but lets see what happens now. I don't see how they can stay a viable organisation without change, and assume that they have realised that, hence last weeks's press release.

I don't for one moment think that their change of heart is going to be the end of the matter, it's just the beginning. But there are enough people now who are watching closely their next move, so I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt and tentative support. I assume that any legislative powers would be in the hands of DEFRA (or that they would oversee the KC in this). But too early to speculate on these things at the moment. I will wait to see what happens next.

I actually bought Maxx to show but when it transpired that due to a health problem I couldn't, I didn't care.

Absolutely how it should be! And your breeder sounds like a true Cavalier person too. I will never understand how some breeders can dispense with their pets so easily.

PS I hope that Maxx is doing ok.

[Karlin]

People of all backgrounds, all incomes, all interests make bad puppy buying decisions. I don't think there's one jot of difference -- I know wealthy intelligent people who opt for mail order internet puppies and people of lower income who do it the right way and who who save and save to get the cavalier they want from a health focused breeder. The difference is not background, the difference is how much time people put into doing research, what is important to them, and how adept they are at asking questions of breeders.

Income and education are no barrier to stupid or underinformed purchases. I can understand the underinformed who believed they were making good choices and then learn better; what I don't understand are the people who spend time on this board or others, ask for advice on getting a puppy, receive it, then go ahead and buy off the internet, a newspaper, from a BYB, a petshop or just some breeder whose number they get. Just as important as BREEDING for health is BUYING for health.

I still am baffled as to who the reputable wonderful breeders are that avoid the clubs completely. I must have missed all of these -- but it is important for all sorts of reasons to be part of the club and voting for change, and just what are they doing that makes their breeding programmes so reputable? Are they not just breeding for income then? If people breed on the outside -- and cannot be bothered to argue for change and VOTE for it within the one place they can have some real effect -- then I am sorry but they are doing the breed no favours at all.