DO you know where that cute little Golden Retriever puppy you picked from the pet store may have come from? You may have paid thousands of ringgit for your little bundle of joy, but stop and think about what kind of puppy farm he could have been churned out from.

Recently, the SPCA and officers from the Department of Veterinary Services Cheras confiscated 13 dogs from a breeding kennel. They suffered from severe skin disease, malnutrition, sores and eye infections. They were kept in tiny wire cages, with no solid base to stand on. The dogs were sick, but still used to breed puppies.

Not all breeding kennels, however, look like this. Many establishments care for their dogs well, and ensure they get the right food and sufficient exercise.

But many, and maybe more, kennels of deplorable conditions exist. The unfortunate thing is Malaysia has no regulations specifying standards for breeding kennels to meet. And you don’t need any sort of license before you can begin breeding dogs for profit either.

The SPCA has seen dogs housed in terrible conditions. It has rescued and re-homed some, but many suffer the same fate because they are undetected.

The animal welfare organization is currently working with the government to draw up a set of regulations to control these breeding establishments.

Conditions of adequate kennel size according to the size of the breed is vital. The animals must receive regular veterinary attention --- and this includes vaccination and deworming, not just a visit to the doctor’s when the dogs are ill.

Female dogs must also not be mated every single time they come into heat, and in a lifetime, each female must only bred four or five times. Anything more than this can result in serious health problems for her.

Also, to ensure that everything is run properly, the SPCA proposes that appointed veterinarians, and enforcement officers from the Department of Veterinary Services, and its own enforcement team, be allowed to monitor these establishments by making random visits.

The SPCA also believes that licensing will make it much easier to ensure these standards are being met. According to its animal inspector Sabrina Yeap, of the breeding kennels investigated based on complaints from the public, all have been in clear violation of The Animal Ordinance 1953.

While there are no specific rules covering breeding kennels, section 44 of the ordinance makes it an offence if anything you do or do not causes unnecessary pain or suffering. If found guilty, a fine of RM200, or a jail term of six months, or both may be imposed.

These sentences are hardly severe enough to prevent the abuse that so many animals suffer. We need stiffer penalties. Larger fines and longer jail terms.

And, we need laws to regulate breeding kennels, not just laws to punish wrongdoers after the animals have been hurt.