It is a black day for breeders in Nova Scotia

Fridays are always interesting and this was no exception.  Ken continues to work on The Tiller - today with its' paperwork, DVD (you need a DVD to turn dirt over - who knew) and lots of back and forth from garage to house.  The Project trundled along - you know we are still doing steps.  The treads appear to have been completed but today was touch ups and work overs and heaven knows what else.  And he's eyeing the banister . . .  Surely with the advent of spring, the hall will be done.  Is it normal to take three months to paint a hall - it's a big house and two stories of hall, steps, trim and a lot of doorways but surely we can move to an actual room soon.  There was baking going on in the kitchen.  Bread was the order of the day with both rye and herb being produced for Ken's dining pleasure.  And there was a drop in the freezer level with Ken's tomatoes turning into a meal.  The challenge of the day was the receipt of the dictum from the NS Veterinary Association advising that their Executive has decreed that as of April 1 they have taken from their members (mandatory membership for all veterinarians in the province or a loss of license) the right to perform the procedures of tail docking, dew claw removal and ear crops on any species except cats.   There is a six month moratorium on the implementation of the ban.  Interestingly, dew claw removal in dogs is a procedure done at two to three days and not invasive.  Tail docking is the same - a quick procedure done by our vet with local anaesthetic, a check of the newborns and back with their mothers without any negative impact in the 30 years we have been breeding wonderful Regalridge dogs.   This is a disaster for breeders in this province.  Almost half of the CKC breeds are impacted in some way by this decision.  Our breeders who are responsible, who raise their puppies with the care and stewardship that we all hope will be the case, who carefully select homes appropriate to their breed and who provide guarantees and extensive follow up, who are there for questions and simply to listen to the stories of our puppies as they progress through life are the people impacted.  We have chosen our breeds with care.  We are their champions and their supporters.  We know them and we have supported their standards.  And integral to our breeds is their appearance.  That is the purebred dog.  The form follows function argument is an important one but function these days applies to fewer of our breeds since most are pets, valued for their characteristics and their look in families around the world.  Losing the look by removing the balance of the Airedale or the Doberman will change the focus of the breeders, at the very least.  Will they now have to choose breeding stock for a tail that doesn't curl to the exclusion of balance, coat or overall type?  Will they even continue in the breed?  And who will want our dogs that no longer conform to our breed standards?  Our primary export market in Canada is the US - the inability to crop and dock dogs in NS will certainly end our ability to show in the US at a competitive level and will also mean that folks who enjoy particular lines and who have traditionally purchased puppies from Nova Scotia breeders will turn to their viable alternatives in Ontario or the US.  We have lost our market for puppies to a whim of our vet community.  We have also decreased access to the gene pool for these breeds by restricting their viability throughout the remainder of North America.  And yes, there are bans similar to this in Europe.  But folks, we are not Europe.  In countries with an area comparable to NS there are thousands of dogs shown on every week end.  Their population is far greater and their management of dogs far different from North America.  The FCI recognizes 400 breeds (the AKC and CKC less than 200) and our demographics vary in ways impossible to compare.  We are a small country in  population density and huge in area.  That impacts our shows and our breeding programs.  For decades we have, in our little part of the world, produced some of the continent's best dogs in our breeds.  We win national and internationally significant shows with our Airedales, Pomeranians, Boxers and Manchester Terriers and many more.  With the implicit threat from the Vet Association that they would support the SPCA in charging breeders who perform these practices, many of us, the responsible, knowledgeable dog fancy will be marginalized or will simply stop breeding.  So what does that leave?  It leaves commercial breeding facilities who supply pet stores and sub standard breeders, puppies sold at an excessive cost and who generate high vet bills with their many health issues.  These folks do not care about breed standards and validation of breeding stock,  know or care little about gene pools and the health issues impacting their breeds.  Will your next puppy come from one of those facilities or from people who raise puppies solely for the pet store impulse market?  And please don't think this is an extreme view.  We have been living in dread of this decision, knowing it would come because of the lack of understanding or respect for breeders from many young veterinarians being graduated from our vet schools.  They don't know us, haven't met us and have strong opinions with respect to our practices in spite of those facts.  They are the majority now, in our clinics, and as such are able to influence the associations.  Most will never meet a responsible breeder since they do not welcome them in their practices.  Breeders tend to use veterinarians who treat them with respect for their knowledge of their breeds and their commitment to their breeding programs.  And we have now been marginalized by those who have opinions of procedures they know nothing about and have never performed.  Will the country be a better place without Regalridge Airedales and Welsh with the alternative being commercially bred or back yard bred dogs from others?  What exactly has been achieved by this veterinary association? 

The kennel is emptying out as March break comes to a close.  Briggs and Brady continue to be star boarders.  They love their bedtime milkbones and accept them with alacrity, Dachshund first.  Jasper and Maddie run out of their outdoor doors, tear off to their own exercise yard and return happily when it's time to come in.   Liard is being Liard - trying to make Chantelle levitate on any occasion.  Sophie and Shadow had a good time in yard four.  He herds her and feels vindicated when she plays with him.  Ruff and Abby are now a team - Labrador and Golden playing hard and retrieving whatever can be retrieved then starting all over.  Little Maggie is playing her own games and ready to help Chantelle with final chores.  Ziggy departed among waving paws - lots of folks could take a page out of the book of those owners - he is a tremendously well adjusted German Shepherd Dog. 

The house dogs are doing fine.  Patti and Clem enjoyed their potions and their meals (Clem managed to hoodwink Tom and got her noon hour meal).  The rest of the crew are happy with the weather and the time of year and are enjoying their time outside. 

Dinner was Friday night pizza - yahoo.  Lunch, though, was a lovely homemade tomato herb soup with herb wheat bread.  Life is good.