On one level, I’m just disappointed that the RSPCA’s response is so blinkered in its approach to the subject. It has virtually ignored the good work done by breed clubs, breeders and the Kennel Club over many years. After all, we have already gone a long way to achieving eleven of the fourteen major recommendations in the Society's own report on this subject. They have virtually ignored that.

On another level I see this RSPCA response as thoroughly condescending and, quite frankly, arrogant. While it does contain some sensible comments, it appears to be largely the work of narrow-minded people who obviously have a very specific and dangerous agenda against pedigree dogs. What credence can be given to a report that claims that even the revised Kennel Club breed standards are still detrimental to dog welfare, and which uses, in a feeble attempt to illustrate this, the fact that the Pembroke Welsh Corgi breed standard asks for the breed to have short legs? That comment reveals the uninformed and extreme mentality of those with whom we are dealing.

Also the response concentrates on telling the Kennel Club what to do and patronisingly talks of giving the KC and its dog breeders one last chance - while at the same time pretty well ignoring the fact that over 50% of dogs bred in this country fall completely outside the Kennel Club’s sphere of influence.

It attempts to ‘rubbish’ the Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme on completely inaccurate grounds. That scheme is the only benchmark scheme that currently exists for dog breeders and is growing stronger by the day.

It tells More 4 how to edit its TV programmes and it advises the veterinary profession on how to run its affairs as well. It even criticises APGAW just because the Group hasn’t accepted all of the RSPCA recommendations.

We have thought all along that the RSPCA takes an unrealistic and some might say extremist view of this issue.  It completely wants rid of dog shows as we know them. The Society makes the outrageous and totally ill informed assumption that health, welfare and temperament play no part in current dog showing. It goes on to show its real view when it says ‘The Society believes that the most important change that should be made to dog shows in order to really improve the health and welfare of pedigree dogs would be for the entire purpose of such shows to be changed. The Society believes that the purpose of dog shows should be to judge dogs on their health, welfare and temperament rather than appearance.’  The Kennel Club believes that health and temperament are absolutely paramount, and are viewed as such in the show ring, but it believes that appearance is an important factor as well. It is mainly appearance that distinguishes one breed of dog from another. That is a fundamental and irreconcilable difference that we have with the RSPCA. I believe that it shows up the RSPCA as having adopted an extreme stance that would not be shared by the vast majority of pedigree dog owners who want their chosen breed to look like their chosen breed.

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