Following an extensive review of its registrations model – which was underpinned by breeder research and the collation of data and feedback - The Kennel Club will close the Assured Breeders scheme by the end of the year and will be engaging with breeders about a series of forthcoming changes that will have a greater impact, across a larger number of dogs.
The two-year review showed that better support and education was needed for all breeders - regardless of their level of experience - and that changes are needed which will place an emphasis on supporting and highlighting good breeding practice across a much wider number of registrations.
Despite the value that the Assured Breeders scheme provided in terms of education to breeders and signposting for puppy buyers, just five percent of puppies registered with The Kennel Club are bred by members of the scheme. It was clear that all dogs, breeders and puppy buyers would benefit from a pragmatic new approach that would have greater impact, rooted in research about what hasn’t worked to date and what breeders would value more of in the future.
The Assured Breeders scheme will close on 31 December 2024 and there will be engagement that will help to shape the registrations initiatives that will be coming, both this year and into 2025.
Bill Lambert, Health and Breeder Services Executive at The Kennel Club, said: “We thank Assured Breeders for being part of a scheme, whose principles will be central to how we move forwards in the future, and we thank those breeders whose insights during the research process have helped to shape registrations review project.
“The decision to close the Assured Breeders scheme is not one we have taken lightly but it is clear that although we have excellent breeders within the scheme’s membership – and we will continue to incentivise good breeding practice and signpost towards our best breeders in the new registrations model - there were also many barriers to good breeders joining the scheme. Not least that breeders had to pay a membership fee to be recognised for their good practice, and to enable us to fund the inspection regime.
“The resulting impact has been that puppy buyers – who are seeking Assured Breeder puppies as the most esteemed and priority listings but are often unable to source one – and breeders, who remain outside of the scheme yet are following good practice, aren’t able to reap the full benefits that the scheme was designed to create. Furthermore, the educational role that the scheme provided was limited to the small number of paying members, when it was clear to us that we needed to make education around good practice much more accessible to all.
“As a result, over the coming months, we will be engaging about a series of initiatives that will take the best elements of the Assured Breeders scheme and ensure that these are what we build on and focus on in the registrations model.
Foundations for the future
“Whilst there will be more engagement and detail about the changes in the months to come, an area we will focus on is improving how we incentivize good practice amongst breeders and how our Find a Puppy prioritises and signposts towards those who are health testing, making it easier for puppy buyers to find a well-bred puppy.
“Alongside this, it is fundamental that we increase awareness and understanding about the importance of health testing, to increase uptake across the board, and we have recently asked Breeder Health Coordinators to preview the forthcoming Health Standard to this end - which is the first time there has been a set of guidelines about health testing for all breeders and buyers.
“Our aim is to help breeders and puppy buyers understand the importance of all tests listed in the Health Standard, whilst also helping those who aren’t currently testing to make the best decisions possible. We would like to underline that there is still engagement taking place about the Health Standard - and we continue to talk to breeders and take on board their valued feedback. We would also like to remind breeders that the categories that tests are placed into remain fluid, as new evidence and trends emerge.
“In addition to ensuring that education and signposting around health testing is improved, it is also crucial that puppy buyers continue to recognise and understand what buying a puppy responsibly means and what good welfare looks like, when selecting a breeder.
“We will be introducing initiatives to improve our education in this area at every stage of a breeder and puppy buyer’s journey. The recently launched online puppy pack is just one free tool that will help to put puppy buyers on the right path. We will also be engaging about a risk assessment and puppy buyer feedback system, which will give us a greater understanding about, and help us to tackle welfare issues, so that we can better support breeders and puppy buyers.
Thank you and next steps
“Embedding the best elements of the Assured Breeders scheme and raising the quality of puppies registered with The Kennel Club will be central to our evolution and will form part of an ongoing journey – but is driven by the need to incentivise and signpost to good practice without the barrier of a membership scheme fee.
“Those who have been part of the Assured Breeders scheme are thanked sincerely for their commitment and we look forward to continuing to support them and all other responsible breeders, so that we can connect good breeders with good puppy buyers, in the future. Our priority is to ensure that the principles that the scheme was founded upon – to celebrate, reward and educate about good breeding practice – are embedded into the broader registrations model, to the benefit of all.”
Assured Breeders are being communicated with directly about the forthcoming closure and are reassured that all membership services will remain in place until the scheme’s closure, including discounts, benefits and Find a Puppy listings. Further engagement with breeders and details about the changes being made to the registrations model will be announced in due course.
For FAQs about the scheme’s closure and for membership queries if you are an Assured Breeder, please click here.