30th September 2008

RSPCA Pulls Out Of Crufts

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In a statement, the RSPCA said it has suspended plans for a stand at Crufts and is calling for new measures to tackle the unacceptably high levels of disability, deformity and disease that threaten pedigree dogs.

In the wake of the BBC documentary Pedigree Dogs Exposed broadcast last month, the RSPCA has become increasingly concerned about the health and welfare of pedigree dogs - and this includes animals entered into 'best of breed' classes in dog shows like Crufts.

In the past, the RSPCA has staffed a stand at Crufts in order to promote general animal welfare issues.

RSPCA chief veterinary adviser Mark Evans said, "Dog shows using current breed standards as the main judging criteria actively encourage both the intentional breeding of deformed and disabled dogs and the inbreeding of closely related animals. There is compelling scientific evidence that the health and welfare of hundreds of thousands of pedigree dogs is seriously compromised as a result. From a dog health and welfare perspective, such shows are fundamentally flawed and do our much loved pedigree dogs no favours. Intentionally breeding deformed and disabled animals is morally unjustifiable and it has to stop."

"We want to see the emphasis shifted away from arbitrary appearance, so that health, welfare and temperament are considered first and foremost. We want to help ensure that pedigree dogs have the best possible chance of being fit, healthy and happy and well suited to the lives they will lead as pets. All those who benefit from pedigree dogs have a collective responsibility to solve what is now a very serious and totally unnecessary animal welfare problem - not just here in the UK, but around the world."

The RSPCA has commissioned an independent review of the science in this field, and will be discussing its findings with relevant experts and stakeholders later this year. Amongst a raft of specific recommendations, the following themes have been identified as possible ways forward:

• An overhaul of the rules and requirements for pedigree dog registration and competitive dog showing (including breed standards). Health, welfare and temperament should be prioritised over appearance.
• The development and implementation of health and welfare-focused breeding strategies for individual breeds. This should include pro-active steps to increase the genetic diversity of dog breeds.
• More data collection and scientific analysis on causes of disease and death in dogs.
• Education, especially of would-be owners, to encourage demand for dogs which have the best possible chance of leading healthy, happy lives as pets.

"We know that hundreds of thousands of dogs are vulnerable to illness, pain, disability and behavioural problems because they're primarily bred for how they look rather than with health, welfare and temperament in mind," Mr Evans said.

"If things don't change pedigree dogs will continue to suffer unnecessarily, and their welfare will continue to decline - this is totally unacceptable and can't be allowed to happen. Careful breeding with an emphasis on health, welfare, temperament and quality of life is the only way to ensure a positive future for the pedigree dog."

The RSPCA has also cancelled plans to attend the Discover Dogs show, due to take place in November.

The Kennel Club, which organises Crufts and issues the pedigree registration certificates, is understandably defensive of its purpose and the Crufts competition. Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club spokesperson, said, "Dog shows such as Crufts give the Kennel Club and other organisations a great opportunity to educate the dog loving public about the overriding importance of health and welfare. The RSPCA has attended Crufts for a great many years and will be fully aware of all the work that is being done to improve the health of dogs in and out of the show ring.

"The Kennel Club invests a great deal of time, money and care into the area of pedigree health. This includes grants, via its Charitable Trust, into developing health screening for dogs. A donation of £48,000 was recently given to the RSPCA to improve the general welfare of dogs. Furthermore, the Kennel Club has just released its 'Future Plans' to keep the public updated about its continued progress in this area.

"The fact that the RSPCA continues to make such unhelpful statements with regard to the health of pedigree dogs is extremely regrettable but we will continue to endeavour to work with them despite their stated position - for the benefit of dogs. The Kennel Club is dedicated to improving the health and welfare of dogs through responsible breeding and will continue to use Crufts as a platform to educate breeders and the public about the importance of joining us on this quest."

The RSPCA has made several comments that the Kennel Club would take issue with. Specifically:

RSPCA - "There are unacceptably high levels of disability, deformity and disease that threaten pedigree dogs."

The Kennel Club ran a health survey looking at pedigree health, the largest of its kind in the world. It has been found that 90 percent of pedigree dogs will not suffer from health problems that will have a detrimental effect on their quality of life, based on an analysis of the Breed Health Survey, carried out by in 2004 by the Kennel Club and the Animal Health Trust. This is to date the largest dog health survey of its kind in the world. Of course, there are some dogs which suffer from some diseases but the Kennel Club is working hard to help eliminate these conditions and to ensure that ALL dogs have the opportunity to lead healthy lives. For more information about the work that the Kennel Club has done in the area of pedigree health visit www.doggenetichealth.org.

Dogs shows using current breed standards encourage the intentional breeding of deformed and disabled dogs and the inbreeding of closely related animals.

Dog shows are fundamentally designed to reward those dogs that meet a particular breed standard, which is the blueprint for a healthy dog. The Kennel Club is continually working to ensure that this objective is achieved by regularly reviewing breed standards and ensuring that judges are educated so that dogs displaying visible health problems will not win at dog shows.

What's your opinion? Should we ban pedigree breeds in an effort to enlarge the gene pool or is it safer to keep breed standards and have a total history of each dogís genetic make-up? Have your say in our Forum, reached from the Community section, or click here if you're logged in, to reach the thread directly.

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