A meeting took place at Defra with Lord de Mauley, Minister for Animal Welfare and his advisers. Accompanying me were Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Dan O’Neil (VetCOMPASS), Harvey Locke (previous President of BVA), Paula Boyden (Veterinary Director at Dogs Trust), Sheila Crispin (Chairman, Dog Advisory Council), James Yeates (Chief Vet, RSPCA). We pressed the case for tighter regulations to control dog breeding: in particular the acceptance of the RSPCA/BVA AWF Puppy Contract; the Dog Advisory Council’s Breeding Standard; securing the long term funding and future of the Advisory Council; reducing dog breeding licensing requirements to over two litters per year; include the protection of the offspring in the Defra Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs.
Category: News
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BVA/KC CMSM Scheme Results Published on Kennel Club website
The scheme which started in January 2012 now includes full publication of the MRI screening results for Chiari Malformation (CM) and Syringomyelia (SM). This means that breeders can check the results for any dog they are thinking of using as a mate in breeding. Puppy purchasers can also check the results of the parents of a litter of puppies they are considering.
To use, type the pedigree name of the dog in the Kennel Club Health Test Results Finder. Then click on About this test and Current suggested breeding guidelines:
www.thekennelclub.org.uk/download/13817/HTRF-Breeding-Guidance.pdf which gives an explanation and interpretation of the results.
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Dog Advisory Council publishes its Report on the 8 priorities for dog breeding
Experts from within the Advisory Council and elsewhere have contributed to the Council’s Report on the 8 Genetic Priorities for Dog Breeding.
The priorities are: Eye diseases and ocular problems linked to head conformation; Beathing difficulties (brachycelphalic obstructive airway syndrome) link to head conformation (flat face); Chiari malformation/Syringomyelia; Seizures and Epilepsy; Heart disease (various types); Skin disorders; Hip and Elbow dysplasia; Separation related behaviour problems.
The problems are outlined and recommendations made for tackling them.
The full report can be found here: http://www.dogadvisorycouncil.com
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Dog Advisory Council’s Standard for Breeders
The Advisory Council on the Welfare Issues of Dog Breeding has finalised its Standard for Breeders.
The standard sets out the welfare requirements for breeding dogs, including accurate record keeping, accommodation requirements, the health of dogs used for breeding, the nurturing and socialisation of puppies, compulsory identification, checks on puppy buyers suitability as dog owners.
It is hoped that this will become widely adopted by breeders and act as the ‘gold standard’ for dog breeding.
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BVA AWF and RSPCA Puppy Contract and PIP Launched
The BVA AWF and RSPCA Puppy Contract and PIP was launched at the BSAVA Congress 2012
The Puppy Contract is supported by the major animal welfare organisations and aims to safeguard the puppy buyer and breeder. Puppy buyers are advised to buy from a breeder who uses (or is prepared to use) the Puppy Contract to ensure that puppies have been ethically bred and that all reasonable care has been taken to breed puppies free from genetic disease and extreme conformations.
The Contract and PIP is available to all and can be downloaded from www.puppycontract.org.uk