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Crufts has been plunged into crisis after a botched IT upgrade forced the Royal Kennel Club to lay off staff.
The dodgy IT software caused the club to lose millions of pounds which will be plugged by making up to a fifth of its staff redundant as well as through slashing research into canine genetics and raising the fees for registering puppies.
Aside from organising the annual Crufts Dog show – which attracts 155,000 visitors and is the biggest dog show in the world – the Kennel Club also holds onto a vast database of information on over 14m pedigree dogs across the UK.
Last year, 227,000 puppies were registered at the club for a fee of £25 which allows owners to boast about the purity of their furry friend.
However, the organisation has been left with its tail between its legs after attempts to upgrade the database have caused bugs and software failures.
The winner of last year’s Crufts: Melanie Raymond and her Australian Shepherd Viking. Aside from organising the annual Crufts Dog show the Kennel Club also holds onto a vast database of information on over 14m pedigree dogs across the UK
The Kennel Club’s chief executive Mark Beazley. And the recruitment of Mr Beazley was a controversial choice due to his previous career at the cat welfare charity Cat Protection
The Daily Telegraph reports that this has led to a loss of £1.2m in 2022 and further loss of £1.6m last year.
On top of this, the changes have led to numerous complaints from owners and breeders who were also left angered by a decision to raise their puppy registration fee from £17 to £25 in 2022.
Schemes such as the Assured Breeders scheme and funding for a a canine genetics centre at Cambridge University are also going to be shut down to try and claw back funding.
On top of this, the changes have led to numerous complaints from owners and breeders who were also left angered by a decision to raise their puppy registration fee from £17 to £25 in 2022.
Meanwhile, the club has also been embroiled in other controversies in recent year. Last year the Kennel Club was criticised for holding its 150th anniversary in the garden of Buckingham Palace where dogs are banned.
And the recruitment of Mark Beazley as chief executive was a controversial choice due to his previous career at the cat welfare charity Cat Protection.
A Cocker Spaniel at Crufts. The Kennel Club has been left with its tail between its legs after attempts to upgrade the database have caused bugs and software failures that led to a loss of £1.2m in 2022 and further loss of £1.6m last year
A poodle being groomed at Crufts. King Charles III recently became the patron of the club which led the organisation to change its name to the Royal Kennel Club in June
Mr Beazley, who had previously worked at The Dogs Trust, is now on long-term sick leave.
In a statement for the Telegraph, the Kennel Club said: ‘Having registered dogs since 1873, and [given] the ever-changing technical landscape, we updated our Customer Relationship Management system and website to protect the heritage of our records.
‘Our database held 40m records, making for a complex transition. This combined with a surge in demand during an unforeseen pandemic resulted in technical issues and software bugs. This was a great source of disappointment for our customers.’
The Kennel Club started life in 1873 as an organisation set up to run dog shows and oversee stud books but which later morphed into a profit-for-purpose organisation.
King Charles III recently became its patron which led the organisation to change its name to the Royal Kennel Club in June.
MailOnline have approached the Kennel Club for a comment.
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