The Kennel Club has today responded to the RSPCA’s report ‘Pedigree Dog Breeding in the UK: A Major Welfare Concern?’

Kennel Club spokesperson, Caroline Kisko, said: "Any research or survey that gives us additional insight into dog health and welfare is welcomed by the Kennel Club and dog breeders alike. As the largest organisation representing UK dogs, owners and breeders, the Kennel Club has been promoting similar discussions and research for 40 years. We have also achieved a significant amount of progress in tackling the key issues involved and we are using science and the skills of dog breeders to make huge strides forward and to invest in further research to improve the health and welfare of dogs in this country.

“The report contains several sensible recommendations and we are glad to confirm that the majority of these have already been put in place by the Kennel Club for dogs registered by it. Had we been asked to contribute to the report, we would have taken the opportunity to move it one step forward and to suggest it should have looked at all dogs rather than simply registered pedigree dogs. However, the Kennel Club has already asked the government to make the principles of the well established Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme mandatory for all breeders, regardless of whether their dogs are pedigrees or Kennel Club registered.

“The report recognises the importance of health testing and of conducting research that will enable us to monitor the health status and genetic diversity of breeds, an area in which the Kennel Club has been leading the way. It also recognises the importance of educating judges so that dog shows can continue to be used as a force for good, incentivising and rewarding the breeding of healthy dogs.

“We are pleased that the report has recognised that solving the health issues facing some breeds is a ‘difficult, complex challenge’ but in view of this fact and without being in any way complacent we believe that the report fails totally to recognise the real steady progress and advance of scientific knowledge that has already been made in the area of pedigree dog health. This progress has been achieved through the combined efforts of veterinary organisations, breed experts, Kennel Club registered breed societies and the Kennel Club. However, we are pleased that there are large areas of agreement among us all. We hope that the progress achieved so far can continue through everyone working together, at events such as Crufts and Discover Dogs, to achieve our shared objective of breeding happy, healthy dogs.

“We are also pleased that the survey appears to demonstrate strong support for a review of breed standards; this confirms the process which the Kennel Club started some years ago and updated once again at the end of last year. Following years of work with vets and breeders on specific health issues surrounding pedigree dogs – we introduced revised standards in January 2009, which will be used by judges at this year’s Crufts. However, the description of each breed’s physical attributes in a way that will prevent unhealthy exaggeration - is only one part of every breed standard. Equally importantly, these include information on the importance of each breed requiring to be healthy, fit for function and of the ideal temperament.

“We now look forward to Crufts 2009, where all dog lovers can come together to talk to breed experts and representatives from the 20 well known charities and veterinary organisations that are attending the event, to take forward our goal of breeding happy, healthy dogs. We expect around 28,000 dogs to be present at the show – the third highest in its long history.

“The Kennel Club is confident that with the support of its Kennel Club registered specialist breed clubs, the veterinary profession and those animal welfare organisations that care about dogs - and with the sensible use of the available science and promotion of further scientific research, the healthy future of the vast majority of pedigree dogs in this country is assured.”

Notes

The recommendations:

TRAINING OF JUDGES

Amongst the recommendations is the importance of training judges to prioritise health in the show ring. The Kennel Club has recently hosted another of a series of judges’ seminars to reiterate the importance of using the show ring in a positive way to reward, celebrate and incentivise the breeding of healthy dogs and at the same time to gather the views of senior judges in support of this.

PROMOTE HEALTHY DOGS AS PETS THROUGH SHOWS AND EVENTS

The Kennel Club agrees one hundred percent with the view that healthy, well cared for dogs should be promoted to the public as desirable pets. This confirms the Kennel Club’s belief that dog shows and events – such as Discover Dogs and Crufts - have a central role to play in achieving this objective. At this year’s Crufts, for example, there will be a dedicated Health Zone, where representatives from the British Veterinary Association, the Animal Health Trust and the Kennel Club itself will be available to talk to dog lovers about a range of health issues surrounding dogs. There will also be 20 well known charities and veterinary organisations present and taking space at the event. Crufts has always been the world’s best platform to inform and empower dog lovers to make the right choices for their dog so that they can lead happy, healthy lives.

CONTINUE THE DEVELOPMENT OF HEALTH TESTING

The RSPCA’s report recognises the importance of health screening and the need for the further refinement of diagnostic DNA testing. The Kennel Club has been at the forefront of developing and funding such schemes over the years and is pleased that an organisation such as the RSPCA is now suggesting that it will start to help it to continue in this task.

KENNEL CLUB ACCREDITED BREEDER SCHEME AND GOVERNMENT LEGISLATION

The Kennel Club agrees wholeheartedly with the importance of promoting these tests and of ensuring that breeders are required to consider health, temperament and welfare first. That is why the Kennel Club runs a well established Accredited Breeder Scheme, whose members are required to subject their dogs to take the required health tests for their breed and to follow good practices for the care and socialisation of puppies and the welfare of the mothers. Lessons learned from other countries tell us that the RSPCA’s recommendation to force only Kennel Club registered dogs to undergo compulsory testing, would simply drive people away from health testing and the registration process entirely – or into the arms of other registries, who do not reinvest the money they receive into schemes that further improve the health and welfare of dogs. The Kennel Club does not believe that this would enhance dog welfare. It also believes that the welfare of all dogs needs to be considered, rather than simply those dogs that happen to be registered with the Kennel Club.

That is why the Kennel Club has already led the way and has asked the Government to make the standards and principles of the Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme compulsory throughout the country. This would apply to all dogs. It would mean that any breeders wanting to produce or sell puppies, whether registered or not, would be legally required to comply with the health and husbandry standards which the Kennel Club’s Accredited Breeder Scheme promotes. The Kennel Club is hopeful at the prospect that this legislation could get the widespread support it needs to persuade Parliament to change the law in a way that would make responsible breeding compulsory throughout the country.

COLLECTION OF DATA ON DOGS’ HEALTH

Another finding in the report is the importance of collecting data related to dog health and to use this to monitor the health and welfare of breeds and develop detailed management plans for them. Over the past 10 years, the Kennel Club Charitable Trust has given more than any other animal or dog welfare organisation to this research and has conducted the world’s largest survey on dog health in 2004, with the support of the Animal Health Trust and the British Small Animal Veterinary Association. This enables us to move forward in the area of dog health with the support of solid research. It is this research that is enabling the Kennel Club to produce the individual breed health plans that we recently announced for all 210 breeds of dogs in the UK. These will contain information about the presence of particular conditions in certain breeds, the tests that are available to stop them being passed down through the generations and the health priorities for breed societies and the Kennel Club to pursue.

GENETIC DIVERSITY

The Kennel Club agrees that it is vital that the genetic diversity of all breeds remains at a healthy level and it is for this reason that it recently banned the registration of first generation matings and that it has encouraged and supported out-crossing in breeds where a sensible plan has been put forward to us. It is now imperative that the Kennel Club continues to lead research into the genetic diversity of breeds – but on a breed by breed basis, rather than introducing any further blanket bans. These could be counterproductive in some breeds and detrimental to the future welfare of the breeds concerned.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO BAN BREEDS

The Kennel Club is adamant it should continue to commit itself fully to solving any health issues that do exist with breeds rather than eradicating or attempting to ban any of our well loved breeds – something suggested as a possibility by the report.

TAKING ADVICE FROM OTHERS

The Kennel Club is pleased to see that the RSPCA’s recommendations accept many of the solutions so far promoted extensively by the Kennel Club itself. It will continue to take on board any advice that other organisations can put forward, to further improve the health and welfare of all dogs. It is for this reason that the Kennel Club and Dogs Trust have agreed to fund an independent review of the whole issue, which has received Government support.

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