PDSA Latest to Suspend Involvement With Kennel Club
Published on November 5, 2008 by Freelance Contributors · 6 CommentsPDSA suspends involvement in Kennel Club events
‘We welcome and support recent progress but evidence of real change is needed’ says charity
The UK’s leading veterinary charity, PDSA, is suspending its involvement in Kennel Club dog shows and events, including Crufts. The charity, which provides free veterinary care for the pets of people in need, has participated in these events for over 30 years.
After lengthy consideration PDSA reached its decision based on the evidence of health issues affecting some pedigree dog breeds. Despite its withdrawal from forthcoming events, the charity stresses its commitment to working with the Kennel Club and with the veterinary profession, welfare organisations and other interested parties to bring about health improvements.
PDSA currently employs nearly one thousand veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and support staff at its 47 PetAid hospitals and branches across the UK. They are faced by the consequences of unacceptable dog breeding practices on a daily basis. These include serious health issues brought about by inherited conditions and through compliance to breed standards.
PDSA Director of Veterinary Services, Richard Hooker, said: “We believe change is needed in the way pedigree dogs are bred. Specifically, breeding should put the dogs’ quality of life before appearance and this must be reflected in the show ring.
“Our decision reflects the weight of opinion within our charity and among our supporters. It is consistent with our Long Live Pets campaign and sends a clear message that pedigree dog breeding needs urgent review.”
Mr Hooker added: “We welcome the Kennel Club’s recent efforts to improve the health status of pedigree dogs and will support these with our input and expertise wherever possible. We believe that our position is entirely consistent with that of the veterinary profession, including the British Veterinary Association and the British Small Animal Veterinary Association.
“PDSA will require evidence that real and sufficient progress is made in the quality of life for dogs before reconsidering today’s decision. While we acknowledge that most dog breeders do observe good standards, this step will help to send a very clear message to all: that the initiatives undertaken by the Kennel Club to work towards improving the health status of pedigree dogs must be taken on board, through their agreement to revised breed standards.”
Solving health problems in certain pedigree breeds means addressing public demand as well as breed supply issues, added Richard Hooker: “The information available to dog owners and prospective owners is critical. If members of the public only want dogs that are healthy and responsibly bred, then undesirable practices will cease. That is why PDSA is committed to delivering good public information and education.”
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Action speaks louder than words – change has got to happen. i will be looking very closely at any animal charity that “supports” the Kennel Club, before i make any future donations!
Perhaps the PDSA and the rest should be ‘targetting’ and educating those people who want a dog NOW, not next week, today! they give no thought as to how the animal is bred or it’s parents cared for as long as they can have it today. They also aren’t willing to wait or travel for a pup from a responsible breeder, preferring those who breed in volume as they will have something available at all times. Then when the pup inevitably becomes ill it is the responsible breeder who is targetted for bad breeding!
Perhaps the PDSA should be keeping a record of the breeders/suppliers of every pedigree pup which their vets treat, then we’d all know who is producing the problem dogs.
P.o’Leary, this health survey below might interest you; http://www.tartanscottie.com/pages/GSM_2005_Health_Survey_Report_1column.pdf
Interestingly Harvill notes that while professionally bred Scotties are more expensive than casually-bred dogs, they are not healthier. In fact, says Harvill, “The empirical evidence indicates that the best shot — even if a long shot — at a long-lived Scottie is from a non-professional breeder.”
If the good breeders are destroying the health of their breeds by continually using damaging breeding programs and point blank refusing to listen to the advice given by scientists, then the PDSA and other organisations have every right to target those breeders who incorrectly proclaim themselves to be ‘good’ breeders, the ones mentoring new people entering the business of dog breeding. Puppy farmers also need to be targeted but because their practice is inexcusable doesn’t mean others who refuse to accept what they’re doing is wrong should been given a free pass.
[B]“Interestingly Harvill notes that while professionally bred Scotties are more expensive than casually-bred dogs, they are not healthier”[B/]
While I haven’t been able to read the original article as it won’t load to this computer, I have to take issue with the expression “professionally bred dogs” – in my book that would mean any puppy-farmed dog and any dog bred by a Licensed/volume breeder – If you only breed the occasional litter from health tested parents and take great pains to rear them well and take every care when homing them, then you would not need a license and would NOT be considered professional, you would however be considered to be responsible and possibly a casual breeder. Which actually would support my calling for the PDSA to take note of the type of breeder the pedigree dogs they treat comes from. There are plenty of breeders who health test, carefully raise their pups and are very careful about where they sell their pups, unfortunately because they don’t usually breed in great quantities, they are vastly out-numbered by the quantity not quality breeders – otherwise known as professionals
I’ve lost count of the number of people who have told me they got their dog from a ‘professional breeder’ had a choice of several litters, was licensed etc. and the pup grows up to be nothing like the breed and keeping the vet in business!
forgot to say…
Vets rarely see the really healthy dogs. How many of us take our dog to the vets because he’s really healthy? I certainly don’t after one of mine caught parvo on a routine vaccination visit. They go only when necessary and I make sure vaccs are only done at vaccs clinic.
I’m afraid not P. o’Leary. The paper makes it very clear when their talking about Professional Breeders they are referring to Show Breeders.
Oh and it’s actual vets who carryout vaccination clinics