The Kennel Club's stance has been so askew with dog health for so long that Kisko's reply, while shocking, does not surprise -- look at feeble attempts like the accredited breeders programme, which was seen even by many clubs to mainly help puppy farmers get KC 'special' accreditation as it was so totally unpoliced! Slight efforts to tighten the programme have not exactly revolutionised the programme nor its acceptance as any kind of quality kitemark programme for puppies.
But the attitude of the KC and its feeble bleatings on the subject of canine health remain just appalling. Imagine if, say, the UK government took the same perspective on human suffering. If it were shown that exposure to certain food additives or factory emissions or pollution or being born with a congenital disease only caused a little discomfort or suffering, then the state would allow the factories, food manufacturers etc to do whatever they wish and the health service and insurance companies could refuse to treat patients as they weren't quite suffering enough.
Imagine the public outcry if it were shown that over half the UK population had a skull that was not the right size for their brain and that a significant portion would go on to suffer excruciating lifelong pain.
Dogs however are clearly more about short-term income and competitions and suffering doesn't need to count unless it is really obvious. Like, say, pugs with kinked spines due to being bred for cute curly tails, or breeds with high incidences of seizures or cancer, or German Shepherds only being able to walk with a wobbly gait -- but that sloping back is certainly worth a few dogs having to be pts due to severe hip dysplasia at a young age, isn't it?
To be fair to the Kennel Club, they *themselves* have said they lack the legal ability to police breeders. But this confession, and the evidence from comments from people like Kisko that little would be done even if they did have the capability, and on evidence
of comments like she made here, means that outside regulation is the obvious and only answer.
Good for Carol for making strong points in this programme.