Since the plight of pedigree dogs and their sadly declining health came into the public domain some years ago a number of changes have happened. We’ve seen many reviews of breeding, the setting up of an advisory council to help the future welfare of dogs and safeguard their health, the new and highly talked-about introduction of vet checks at Crufts and the launch of new websites aimed at educating would-be puppy owners about the diseases common in breeds.

This is all fantastic and I’m very pleased to say that now there has been another huge step forward when it comes to promoting responsible breeders, education of buyers and sellers and, most importantly of course, healthy puppies. The BVA Animal Welfare Foundation, which I am very proud to be a trustee of, along with the RSPCA has launched a standard puppy contract and PIP or puppy information pack. For some time now the only contracts used for the sale of puppies have very much favoured the person selling the animal and left the buyer with little or no comeback if anything is amiss. All the reviews into dog breeding came to the conclusion that a standard contract and information pack would be great for all parties concerned. It would redress the balance and give some power back to those left with the bills, poorly pups and the inevitable heartache of a dog plagued with problems.

It sounds so simple and it is! The breeder fills in the PIP with all the details of health tests, feeding, vaccinations, worming, parental details, problems encountered so far and also socialisation which is a must for happy, well-behaved dogs. Both parties then sign the contract. The breeders to say that the information they’ve given is true and the buyer to say they will care for the puppy as is their duty under the law.

As a vet in practice I have seen too many times to count owners come in with a beautiful puppy that they have already fallen in love with, only to see their anguish when disease and ill health due to inbreeding, simply the breed standard or a lack of care rears its head. It is heartbreaking to have to try and pick up the pieces for the dog and the owner when these are so often preventable conditions if only the breeder had done everything in their power to avoid it. I have also sadly lost count of the number of these clients who, when they contact the breeder are told that there has never been a problem before. Now, with the PIP and contract my clients and any other puppy buyer who uses them will have definitive proof of what has been said and done and some recourse under the law if things turn out not to be as they seem. The other great thing about the PIP is that it will help new puppy owners to find out what information is so vital for their new dog. If we can develop a culture of using these documents we could stamp out the demand for puppy farms in one fell swoop. The PIP and contract will hopefully guide people away from buying puppies without seeing their mother at the very least and the environment in which they’ve been reared.

Please spread the word about these documents. Let’s see an end to puppy farms, puppy supermarkets, heartbroken new owners and, most importantly, let’s see the dawn of a new era of well cared-for puppies free of disease and fit for the purpose of living normal, healthy lives. The contract and PIP can be seen and downloaded at www.puppycontract.org.uk. And don’t forget, if you’re a breeder you can use these to show how responsible you are and also easily give your prospective puppy owners all the information they need. You’ll also hopefully see who is interested in being a responsible owner for one of your dogs. If you’re a buyer and there is no PIP or contract or the seller won’t complete them for you, ask yourself why and avoid buying from them at all costs. Visit the Pet Talk section for the full press release about the contract and PIP and an interesting case study.

On a different note, many thanks to the lovely staff at all the Waterstones stores I visited over the Easter weekend. You were all brilliant and so welcoming. There are a few more signings being lined up and I’ll keep you posted but I’ll be doing a whole day in Leeds on 30th June and a whole day in Bradford on 18th August.  Also a big hello to the many of you I met who were so good as to come in and save me from sitting alone all day and buy a book. I had some great chats and feel like I made some new friends. You can also read an extract from the book from the Daily Express online at http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/313626/It-shouldn-t-happen-to-a-vet-but-it-happened-to-me.