|
I cannot police breeders. However,
I do try to follow up on complaints, and there are some
few cases under which I have stopped listing breeders.
I will and have permanently de-listed breeders
from the FBRL for the following reasons:
- proven cases of unethical breeding practice in which
cats are harmed and/or in danger. Usually requires submission
of veterinary paperwork. Examples include selling sick
and/or infested kittens in cases where the breeder knew
the kitten was sick and/or infested at the time of the
transfer.
- the breeder is put under disciplinary suspension from
any major cat registry. Even if the disciplinary suspension
is temporary with the association, the breeder is permanently
barred from the FBRL. If you have ever been suspended,
don't bother signing up. (Only exception to this is
if the person was suspended from TICA for an uncollected
bad check. This is the only association I know who does
this; please discuss this with me before signing up
if this is your situation).
- The breeder has engaged in proven fraudulent behavior
of misrepresenting himself or his cattery to others.
This includes providing false information for an FBRL
listing and taking copyrighted photographs from other breeders to represent the cats as your own. The list is only as good as the trustworthiness of the ads, so this is an area where I have VERY little tolerance.
- The breeder has had animals confiscated by their local
animal control agency for proven violations of hygiene,
animal welfare, and/or animal cruelty.
- The breeder has been arrested and convicted of a crime
that was either directly animal related, such as animal
abuse, or has been convicted of a lower charge where
the root cause was animal related (such as plea bargaining
an animal cruelty charge to something such as "disorderly
conduct"). Successful lawsuits for sale of sick kittens also count in this category.
- The breeder has been proven to be purposely breeding
and selling mixed-breed cats.
- The breeder is engaging in the sale and/or brokering
of wild (non-domestic) animals.
- The breeder is selling cats through a pet store or
online auction (see below).
- These represent only some of the cases presented
and does not constitute an exhaustive list of offenses
that may merit expulsion.
I have ejected a few breeders for other
reasons. There are other circumstances under which I may
choose to remove a breeder from the FBRL. These are handled
on a case-by-case basis and usually have involved a blatant
violation of the rules of this list. I do investigate these
as well as I can; there have been many cases of complaints
against breeders which have proven to be unfounded or greatly
exaggerated. I will make every effort to be fair. However,
there are certain serious circumstances in which immediate
dismissal is the only ethical action I feel I can take.
I have the legal right to refuse service when I feel the
customer no longer represents the best interests of the
FBRL.
Any breeder selling a cat through a
pet store or through an online auction is subject to immediate
and permanent dismissal. This practice is totally unacceptable
for selling cats, as both pet stores and online auctions
sell only to any individual with sufficient money or to
highest bidder and do not take into account the suitability
of the home. Online auctions even make it clear that the
result of the auction is legally binding, and this does
not give the breeder an opportunity to screen a home properly.
I do monitor auction sites for such activity.
If a breeder is de-listed for disciplinary
reasons, he or she will receive, at that breeder's written
request, a full refund of the unused portion of the yearly
subscription price. Refunds are not given without a written
request. The breeder will not be allowed to re-list with
the FBRL at any time in the future.
For more information on filing a complaint,
go to the Filing A Complaint
FAQ.
Return to the FBRL Listing Rules
|
