5 June 2018

The Bulldog Club Taskforce

The Combined Bulldog Club Taskforce say the Ministry for Primary Industries needs to ensure all relevant and credible voices from across the country are heard before any recommendations on dog welfare are made.

The Taskforce says MPI seems to have taken a very narrow view as to who should be at a hui for animal advocates to share their views on issues to the Government this week with an exclusive few groups invited to participate in setting the hui agenda, in Auckland, while the rest were left to find out about it via the media.

Kathy Brown, President of the Southern Bulldog Club, said officials are placing their Minister at risk of receiving a one-sided view. “MPI officials should be seeking to make well informed, prudent policy recommendations and not simply reacting to often ill-informed, inaccurate activism.

“We saw this with the Trade Me ban on selling some species of dogs. Trade Me didn’t have to, and clearly did not want to, take the time to make an informed and accurate decision. Government officials must or risk a poor public policy outcome which will hurt the responsible owners of British bulldogs, French Bulldogs and other brachycephalic breeds around the country.

“Trade-me effectively accused responsible and caring breeders and owners, with healthy specimens of the breed, of abusing their dogs, simply by owning them. Owners, including children, were bullied on the street in the wake of the Trade-Me announcement.

Trade-Me reacted to the loudest voice and animal welfare groups, pointing to overseas research which was misunderstood and misrepresented, to validate their decision to ban. This was despite veterinarians, responsible breed clubs, breeders and owners telling them they were wrong regarding New Zealand.

Ms Brown, said the Taskforce is ready and willing to participate in good faith in any process to ensure a factual and honest outcome on this issue. They also invite the Minister to hear from groups beyond Auckland.

The Combined Bulldog Club Taskforce is made up of the 5 national bulldog breed clubs nationwide. The aim of the Taskforce is to be advocates for our breeds and to educate and inform owners and breeders of bulldogs.

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