CODE OF ETHICS
At Golden Sun Spoodles we are committed to giving all our Dogs the best "Quality of Life" possible
We absolutely guarantee that ALL our Dogs (and ALL our other animals) have the Five Freedoms ...
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Freedom from hunger and thirst: by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour.
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Freedom from discomfort: by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
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Freedom from pain, injury or disease: by prevention through rapid diagnosis and treatment.
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Freedom to express normal behaviour: by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal’s own kind.
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Freedom from fear and distress: by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.
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As a full member of the AAPDB we are also required to comply with a strict code of ethical behaviour in regards to breeding dogs which is outlined in the
VET AUDIT
Every year we have a Veterinary Certified Dog Breeding Audit that is performed by John Dooley, a senior vet from Wingham and Valley Vets.
Animal focussed welfare standards are independently audited to ensure that members of the public can have confidence that we are both ethical and responsible and that we breed healthy and appropriate family pets.
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The Vet audit has three Parts. Part 1 looks at our Facilities & Infrastructure (sleeping quarters, runs and exercise space, whelping & puppy rearing, waste disposal, disease control, food storage), Part 2 looks at Management issues (like nutrition, health, dog behaviour, disease control. dog retirement & Puppy sales) while Part 3 looks at Documentation (health, breeding, whelping, rehoming (puppies and adults), mortality and foster carer Records)
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This quality assurance audit of our premises is in order to demonstrate our commitment to animal welfare and ethical behaviour and also for membership compliance the Australian Association of Pet Dog Breeders Incorporated (AAPDB).
OTHER ETHICAL ISSUES
Pedigree Breeds vs Deliberate Cross Breeds
Closed gene pools in purebred dogs is a serious issue especially in Australia. The RSPCA has also observed as a major concern that a wide range of serious welfare problems currently exist in Australian pedigree dog breeds due to selective breeding to breed standards. These problems include:
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extremely shortened and flattened faces that have difficulty breathing and often need operations to "fix" their soft palate
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excessive skin folds & wrinkles that can be a site for infection-causing bacteria
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large bulging eyes resulting in serious eye problems
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very long backs resulting in chronic back and hip problems
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very short legs, a genetic disorder known as achondroplastic, that is potentially crippling
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massive heads resulting in difficulty giving birth without veterinary intervention
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angulated "cow" hocks causing infirmness
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tiny dogs, in order to match the demand of the ever-growing hype for toy/teacup dogs, causing even more health issues
Unfortunately the list of how Pedigree breeders have "improved" various breeds goes on see
Rescue Dogs vs Adopting a Puppy
Adopting a rescue dog is a fantastic thing to do, and many terrific dogs come from shelters, but they are not ideal for everyone. These dogs are usually in animal shelters because they have been bred irresponsibly & are often undesirable crosses. They have almost certainly had a less than ideal upbringing. Because of their questionable breeding, possible traumatic puppyhood and imperfect earlier environment(s)
they do come with some uncertainty and potential behavioural challenges. The PETA claim that "All breeders fuel the animal overpopulation crisis, and every time someone purchases a puppy or a kitten instead of adopting from an animal shelter, homeless animals lose their chance of finding a home—and will be euthanized" is an extreme view akin to stating that while there is overpopulation, starvation and orphaned children in the world no-one should consider becoming a parent. Not all rescue dogs have suitable temperaments to become well-adjusted family members and not all people are willing to leave this up to chance, especially if they have children of their own whom they need to ensure are also safe.
Commercial vs Homemade Dog Food
As pet parents we all have an obligation to ensure our dogs are provided with food that will enable them not only survive but thrive. Dogs require a balanced diet. It can be argued that a homemade (raw or cooked) diet is superior to commercial dog foods but this is only the case if it is balanced otherwise it can go from being the best diet to the worst option.
Not everyone has the time or knowledge to prepare balanced fresh homemade meals for their dogs and a good quality dry or canned food can be fine as a basis.
What is ethically more questionable is advice funded by Pet food manufacturers, on the internet or by vets, advising against a variety of raw meat, bones, offal, vegetables, tablescraps etc. in favour of a highly processed & carbohydrate based dry kibble diet. Is it ethical to have 60% of dogs get cancer when most could be prevented by adding fresh leafy green vegetables (i.e.tablescraps?) to their diet. Dogs are not obligate carnivores, unlike cats, and can survive and even thrive even on a carefully selected and balanced vegetarian diet. Ancestral or Raw diets are heavily meat based and with a billion dogs in the world and almost the same number of chronically undernourished people the diet we choose for our four legged companions definitely has an ethical and sustainability dimension.
Puppy Farms vs Ethical Breeding
Although various states are introducing and enforcing stricter legislation around breeding dogs it is really the responsibility of the person purchasing a Puppy to ensure they are getting it from a responsible ethical breeder. We encourage people to visit and pick up their puppies and thereby judge our facilities for themselves. The RSPCA defines a puppy farm as "an intensive dog breeding facility that is operated under inadequate conditions that fail to meet the dogs' behavioural, social and/or physiological needs". Oscars law defines it as "a place where puppies are bred for profit". Under this second definition we would be classed a "Puppy farm" while Pedigree breeders, who claim to only breed to "improve the breed", would not be, regardless of their conditions. Some also claim that "a Reputable Spoodle Breeder" is an oxymoron and that they can't exist because cross breeding ensures a breeder is not reputable by definition???
In all cases breeding ethically always costs money and buying cheap puppies almost certainly means that the parent dogs won't be provided with adequate food, shelter, veterinary care, social interaction, exercise, companionship,
environmental enrichment etc
RESPONSIBLE BREEDING
Deliberate cross breeding may occassionally be maligned by Pedigree Breeders, taking the so called "high moral ground", who accuse cross breeders of creating "Designer Dogs" for profit while they are only breeding to improve the breed and their bloodline but ...
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An F1 Spoodle has almost no health issues, unlike so many Purebreds, and instead displays excellent Hybrid vigour with a temperament ideally suited to being a much loved Family Pet.
RESPONSIBLE BUYING
Purchasing a pup is a decision that needs to be considered carefully since your new Puppy will be a part of your family for up to the next 16 years. You need to carefully consider whether a Puppy will fit into your lifestyle, for both your and the puppies sake, and you need to feel confident that you are getting it from a responsible breeder.
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Please feel free to click on these two links for independent advice on both the following: