All this, of course, is opinion. So how about some facts: Intervet, a vaccine manufacturer, states in its own veterinary data sheets:

Only healthy dogs should be vaccinated. Following initial vaccination, dogs should not be exposed to infection for at least 14 days. Generalised hypersensitivity reactions following administration may occasionally occur. In this event, administration of Adrenaline BP by the subcutaneous route may be indicated.

A good immune response is reliant on the reaction of an immunogenic agent and a fully competent immune system. Immunocompetence of the animal may be compromised by a variety of factors including poor health, nutritional status, genetic factors, concurrent drug therapy and stress.

I ask these questions:

What is Adrenaline used for? Is it not used for life and death situations? What "generalised hypersensitivity" reactions are they talking about? They don't tell us.

How do you know if your dog is healthy enough to be vaccinated? Can he tell you if he feels ill?

How do you know if your dog's immune system is fully competent? If you feed your dog commercial pet food (containing "ash", animal "byproducts", vegetable "derivatives",) how good is your dog's nutritional status? If they don't tell us, precisely, what is in the dog's food, how do we know? In England, the Pet Food Manufacturers Association states in its own literature that the ingredients of dog food would be thrown away if we didn't give it to dogs!!

How do you know if your dog has ?genetic factors? that mean he shouldn't be vaccinated? Does your vet ask you whether any of the dog's relatives have epilepsy, thyroid disease, allergies, and so on? Does the vet even take your dog's temperature?

Stress: isn't it stressful for a puppy to be taken away from his littermates and mother, and placed in a completely strange environment, and then jabbed with an assortment of live virus vaccines?

Further, Ronald D. Schultz, a top American veterinary immunologist, conducted a search of all available veterinary literature, trying to find the scientific basis for annual revaccination for dogs. He could find none. This fact was reported in Kirk's Veterinary Therapy, a leading publication for vets. At a seminar in America, Dr. Schultz is reported as having said that distemper would have died out years ago if we hadn't vaccinated our dogs. The vaccine regime is keeping the virus in the ecosystem.

Further, the canine distemper vaccine is actually the measles virus (cfr Black's Veterinary Dictionary). Compare vaccine reactions in children who have been given the measles virus: epilepsy, bowel disorders, allergies, autism, etc... all the same reactions can be seen in dogs.

Except, of course, poor dog owners are never told this by their vets. So when their dog becomes ill, they are confused and grieving, and they don't think to speak with their friends and share information. There is not, to my knowledge, one single consumer protection body of dogs (or cats). We have listened to the ?experts? as if they were gods. Having seen hundreds of letters from dog owners, and having conducted a great deal of research, I know for a fact that vaccines can be extremely damaging to our pets. We are not told of the risks, so we must inform ourselves.

I would be grateful if any of your readers who own dogs would take part in the Canine Health Census. We are seeking to gather case histories of 16,577 dogs. This will give us the statistical evidence to prove (or disprove) whether vaccines, commercial pet food, drugs, chemicals (including flea treatments and agricultural chemicals), stress and other factors are creating death and disease in the modern dog. We have refused sponsorship from companies selling into the multi-billion ? pet market - so dog lovers are funding the Census themselves. So far, over 2,000 dogs are taking part.