AT A Kennel Club meeting held last tuesday poodle breeders Roger Stone and Lee Cox (Vanitonia) were warned and censured as to their future conduct following the application of KC Rule A43, writes Paul Keevil.

The meeting, which took the form of an appeal, was the first ever to be convened before three members of the Kennel Club General Committee and Messrs Stone and Cox were represented by solicitor Mr Peter Rolph. The new and revised KC rule A43 rules approved at the KC Bi-Annual General Meeting will come into effect on January 1st. 2002.

The original case was heard before Cheddar magistrates in early September when Stone and Cox of the Kaston Kennels, Mark, Somerset received a three year conditional discharge, were ordered to pay £5000 costs after being found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to Adam, a black Cocker Spaniel in their care. The cocker suffered a chronic ear infection which resulted in amputation.

The ad-hoc Sub Committee hearing was comprised of Mr Keith A W Young, Mrs Irene Terry and Mr John Banbury. After the meeting the Kennel Club issued the following statement:-

“Having listened to the mitigating circumstances as presented to the sub-committee we are of the opinion that this was an isolated incident primarily caused by a lack of supervision in all aspects of kennel management.

We have, therefore, decided that Mr Stone and Mr Cox should be censured and warned as to their future conduct under Rule A42 j (1) and (2).

We have accepted their assurances that better practices are now in place as to their future kennel management”.