A petition calling on Kingston Council to adopt stringent licensing requirements for pet shops selling dogs has received widespread support from Kingston residents gathering over 1500 signatures in a month and attracting the backing of local councillors and celebrity vet, Emma Milne.

The petition, launched by the Coalition For Improved Dog Ownership Standards (C-fidos) homeless dogs steering group, asks Kingston Council to follow the examples of Swindon and Wokingham in requiring pet shops buy their dogs from local breeders who health test their puppies and breeding stock.

“The encouragement from Kingston residents has been overwhelming.” Said John Robinson from C-fidos, “They don’t want battery farmed dogs sold in Kingston.”

A recent awareness-raising event held in Kingston to promote the petition was hailed as a great success. “We gathered hundreds of signatures and received tremendous support from local businesses, passing pedestrians and drivers. At one point the cacophony of car horns from motorists signalling their support prompted police to ask demonstrators to remove a placard.”

“The event had a great atmosphere. Kingston Councillor Tim Dennen joined demonstrators and other councillors from Kingston and neighbouring boroughs signed the on-line petition and sent messages of support. Sadly, we were also approached by several people who had purchased sickly animals and their tales were heart-breaking.

“There is a demonstrable link between pet shops selling dogs and the puppy farming industry with its attendant welfare concerns. The mixing of litters and transportation of puppies across large distances facilitates the spread of disease and the use of poor breeding stock, together with the lack of traceability leads to many buyers unwittingly acquiring dogs with inheritable diseases and/or temperament problems."

Kingston Council tightened pet shop licences in 2009 in line with RSPCA recommendations but local welfare organisations say it does not go far enough.

Denise Locke of Surrey-based dog rescue, Rescue Remedies, said, “The changes made in 2009 strived to improve conditions within the pet shop premises itself. They do nothing to address the proliferation of congenital diseases from puppy farmed dogs, they do nothing to address the temperament problems caused by poor breeding practice and they do nothing to tackle the role of pet shops and dealers in a supply chain of misery that originates from a puppy farm. We hope the council will listen and take an ethical stance”.

C-fidos maintain that Swindon’s model provides the best protection for dogs sold through pet shops. “To do less is to accept that battery farmed dogs can be sold under licence from Kingston Council.” Said John Robinson. “As a Kingston resident I do not want to accept that and the residents we spoke with and who joined our demonstration and who signed our petition do not want to accept that. Why do dogs in Swindon deserve better than dogs in Kingston?”

The petition is to be delivered this week to Cllr. Derek Osbourne, the Leader of Kingston Council.