Alert over rogue dog fertility ‘expert’ who says: Give pets the Pill

ILLEGAL canine fertility clinics are giving dogs human contraceptives, vets warned yesterday.

As the lockdown-fuelled demand for puppies pushes prices sky-high, rogue breeders are cashing in and putting animals in danger.

Undercover footage shows people with no veterinary training taking blood with syringes and suggesting human contraceptive pills should be given to the animals control the timing of dog litters.

The abuse is highlighted in a BBC Three documentary called Britain’s Puppy Boom: Counting the Cost. It reports that buyers are paying up to £30,000 for popular breeds including dachshunds and bulldogs.

Clinics are shown carrying out artificial insemination of dogs, which the British Veterinary Association calls ‘a potentially illegal act’. Undercover footage was obtained from a course on canine fertility provided on behalf of a business in Manchester called SmartBreeder.

It shows a trainer called Dave Holt, who is not a registered vet or veterinary nurse, teaching how to take blood from a dog – even though it’s illegal for an unregistered non-professional to do so.

Senior vet Mike Jessop, who reviewed the footage, says there is a real risk of hitting a nerve and causing paralysis.

‘‘If he’s not a veterinary surgeon, he’s performing an illegal act,’ he said. ‘Here we have someone advocating the use of unlicensed products, human products for use on a dog when no one knows the longterm consequences.

‘He shouldn’t be playing around as though medicines and these potent drugs are some sort of sweeties that he can drop in and alter nature.’

The BBC has reported its findings

‘Urgent action is needed’

to Defra, Trading Standards, and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate for further investigation.

Daniella Dos Santos of the BVA said: ‘It is deeply worrying that these canine fertility clinics are beginning to pop up.

‘Many clinics are focused on the breeds that can have serious welfare issues. This includes bulldogs and other brachycephalic breeds that can struggle to mate and whelp. Unscrupulous breeders are taking their own actions and risking animal welfare.

‘The handling and treatment of the animals in the undercover footage clearly demonstrates that the welfare of these dogs is not being protected or respected. Urgent enforcement action is needed to clamp down on these unregulated and dangerous practices.’

Smartbreeder has disputed the findings but offered no statement.