Since April 2016, CKC has been in talks with the BC government regarding the development of new animal welfare laws that will assist the BC SPCA in monitoring and taking action against irresponsible breeders. CKC members were also invited to participate in a BC government survey regarding dog and cat breeding to ensure their interests were well represented.
The BC Consultation Summary Report revealed high CKC member engagement and spoke volumes about the dedication and commitment of our member breeders.
Prior to the introduction of
Bill 7 - 2017: Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Amendment Act in March 2017 and throughout the consultation process, CKC has raised concerns about a BC government-proposed licensing or registration system. We have stressed that licensing and registration regulations would provide an unnecessary burden to CKC members in terms of cost, duplication and an extra layer of governance, as CKC members must already adhere to the
CKC Code of Practice and
Code of Ethics in order to retain membership. We also note that the CKC regulatory process has established very clear procedures with regard to enforcement and compliance to CKC by-laws and policies.
Earlier this month, CKC participated in the final round of consultations, with the submission of a consultation document regarding the Proposed Standards of Care for Breeders and Sellers/Brokers of Dogs and Cats in BC.
CKC reminded the BC government that most of our member breeders are hobby breeders and do not sell to pet stores or any third party retailer. We have made it clear that CKC cannot support regulations that do not include clearly defined terms for “Puppy Mill”, “Seller” and “Commercial Breeder”, resulting in all breeders being categorized as the same, whether they are responsible or not.
CKC has reiterated its expertise as a national representative of CKC member breeders and exerts that exemptions be made for CKC member breeders in good standing from any licensing or registration requirements in BC. We also recommend that the BC government adopt the CKC Codes and policies instead of developing and maintaining separate regulations.
BC government staff are now working on a summary of all consultations and proposed regulations will be submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture for approval shortly. The Ministry is looking to implement regulations by end of summer or early fall 2018. Please watch for an update on our website as more information becomes available.