The Kennel Club is calling on dog owners and breeders to help play a vital role in improving the future health of pedigree dogs.
In order to help increase the availability and awareness of health testing across the UK, The Kennel Club launched the ‘Clinic Host’ initiative in 2023, which supports and rewards the dedicated volunteers that are playing a key role in helping to safeguard dog health.
Any individual or organisation can become a clinic host and, as part of the role, will organise and run health clinics to provide pre-breeding health assessments to all those that need to have their dog tested. Clinic hosts are entitled to a range of benefits, including free Crufts tickets, and have access to step-by-step guides, practical support for getting started, and tips for running a successful clinic. Further details can be found by visiting https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/media/h30bgftj/health-clinic-guidance-v1.pdf
Clinics may be breed-specific, or open to all, and can offer one or multiple types of health assessments. They can be hosted by anyone – including owners, breeders, or dog professionals - and may include schemes such as:
- The BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme
- The Kennel Club Heart Scheme for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
- The Kennel Club/University of Cambridge Respiratory Function Grading Scheme
Linda Hall, who has been a clinic host since 2023, explains why she chose to become involved in the initiative: “I was arranging and hosting eye screening clinics prior to the introduction of the clinic host programme because of a lack of clinics in the North East, and I wanted to help my fellow canine peers who had always supported and helped me and my dogs.
“Through the programme, I host three clinics a year and it gives me a great sense of satisfaction to know I’m giving something back to the dog world, helping breeders and stud owners to continue to breed responsibly.”
For a full list of upcoming health testing clinics, and our current clinic hosts, please visit thekennelclub.org.uk/healthtestingclinic. To apply to be a clinic host, or if you have any questions, please contact health@thekennelclub.org.uk. Data gathered from these clinics, alongside all health testing, forms a vital part of the comprehensive information The Kennel Club uses to inform Breed Health and Conservation Plans and The Kennel Club Health Standard. This enables collaboration with breeders to provide clear guidance on ensuring the future health of pedigree breeds. These documents, which enable The Kennel Club to track progress and make meaningful changes to breed health, have been developed as a result of reviewing more than 4,000 research papers, making the project the most comprehensive review of pedigree health data anywhere in the world. By arranging and supporting these clinics, you are contributing to dog health, both individually and at large. More information about what the organisation does for dog health can be found by visiting thekennelclub.org.uk/dog-health.