For highly sought-after dogs such as French Bulldogs and Shiba Inus, the upper end of prices at shops has almost tripled to S$6,000-S$10,000 from S$2,000-S$4,000 five years ago, says Singapore Kennel Club president Chua Ming Kok. SKC-registered local breeders price their pups at S$4,500-S$5,500 on average, up from S$3,500-S$4,500 five years ago.
"Through our regular engagement with the industry, we've heard that standards need to improve and we acknowledge there are gaps to be filled in areas such as home breeding," says Dr Chang Siow Foong, group director of professional and scientific services at AVS under the National Parks Board . AVS encourages consumers to ask to view the breeding animals and may in the future require sellers to show buyers the parents."Consumers play a big role in keeping the sector honest," Dr Chang says.
They do it to improve the pet's health and breed quality to conform to international standards. Some will have their pets compete in shows, after which winners may be bred to continue the champion bloodlines. Breeders usually keep the pick of the litter and put the rest up for sale. Mr Ng*, who works at an AVS-licensed farm with over 100 breeding dogs, says its pups"sell like hot cakes" to retailers within three to four days of being displayed. According to him, the majority of pups in Singapore are not bred from foreign parents, contrary to what some sellers claim."It's unlikely people will import dogs just to breed because the cost is too high," he adds.
Medical tests are another business cost . Screening for hereditary diseases is recommended, especially for the more susceptible breeds, says Dr Brian Loon, principal veterinary surgeon at Amber Cat Vet and Amber Vet."Breeders should refrain from breeding animals with inheritable disorders," he adds. Based on ads with prices listed, at least S$28,000 in BYB kittens was transacted on Gumtree over two months from mid-June to mid-August 2019, according to data collected by Ms Yu."The actual value is much higher, since some ads don't state prices upfront," she notes. BYBs may also masquerade as rehomers, asking exorbitant"adoption" fees running into thousands of dollars.
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