Major Veterinary Charity ‘Does Not Accept’ Validity of Kennel Club’s Pedigree Dog Health Claims

Last week the PDSA, Britain’s largest veterinary charity, withdrew from Kennel Club related events and activities including the flagship dog show Crufts.

K9 Magazine wanted to hear more from the PDSA about what prompted their decision to withdraw and whether they were confident about the future of canine governance and health improvements - especially after the Kennel Club had suggested it was in the process of putting its house in order.
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K9 - Given the Kennel Club has issued a number of releases essentially claiming to have the major health issues under control and has stated that a breed review will be done before Crufts 2009, can the PDSA expand on its decision to suspend its involvement with Kennel Club activities by explaining their specific concerns about why they feel not enough has been done or is being done?

PDSA is committed to working with the Kennel Club to improve the health and welfare of pedigree dogs. Our decision to withdraw from Kennel Club activities sends a clear message that we believe pedigree dog breeding needs urgent review and that Kennel Club initiatives must be taken on board by all breeders. What PDSA requires, above all, is evidence that real and sufficient progress has been made in improving the quality of life for dogs. Only then could we reconsider our position.

K9 - Many canine health experts we have spoken to have expressed grave concerns at the self-imposed time frame the Kennel Club has given itself to conduct its internal health review. We have been advised that this is an exceptionally unrealistic objective, to put in place a genuinely effective health plan for more than 200 breeds inside the space of just a few months. Some have argued that this is a ‘papering over the cracks’ approach, especially given its timing to coincide with the launch of Crufts 2009 - does the PDSA share these concerns?

The numerous health problems affecting different breeds will have to be considered individually. Measures to effectively tackle these problems will then have to be introduced and their success monitored. PDSA will require evidence that measures introduced are improving the quality of life for dogs. The charity is more concerned about whether evidence of improvement becomes available, rather than how quickly it happens, although we do believe that it needs to be reviewed urgently.

K9 - Does the PDSA share the Kennel Club’s view that it (the KC) should be given statutory powers to enforce all dog breeders to have to register as a Kennel Club accredited breeder (by law) and thus force all breeders (including those who specialise in non KC recognised breeds) to have to pay revenues to the Kennel Club?

PDSA strongly supports and endorses the Kennel Club’s accredited breeder scheme and we encourage anyone considering getting a pedigree dog to check whether the breeder is Kennel Club-accredited. We would like all breeders to adhere to the standards for health and welfare laid out in the Kennel Club’s accredited breeder’s scheme. If legislation is a practical route to achieving this, then this is one option that should be fully considered.

K9 - Is the PDSA satisfied that the Kennel Club’s accredited breeder scheme is sufficiently robust enough to be ‘the solution’ for separating good breeders from bad?

If rigorously enforced, the scheme will help identify breeders who have paid full regard to their dogs’ quality of life - and those who may not have. It will improve breeding practices amongst breeders (e.g. screening for inherited medical conditions and adequate socialisation of puppies) but it does not address health problems that arise from adherence to breed standards. It will remain the Kennel Club’s responsibility to change breed standards so that the shape and conformation of dogs is compatible with their good welfare.

K9 - Based on the dogs the PDSA vet clinics treat year in year out, would they agree with the Kennel Club’s claim that ‘90% of all pedigree dogs are healthy’?

Based on the clinical experience of our veterinary staff we could not accept that this figure is valid. PDSA would require statistically valid evidence to support this claim.

K9 - Finally, is the PDSA confident that the Kennel Club is best placed to address the serious health problems that have beset many pedigree breeds over the past 100 years of Kennel Club regulation?

PDSA recognises that the Kennel Club has credibility and influence amongst dog breeders. Alongside the veterinary profession, animal welfare organisations and other interested parties, it will be a key stakeholder in helping to drive the necessary changes. In particular, the Kennel Club has a key role in rewriting breed standards so that harmful morphological traits, such as multiple skin folds, are bred out of dogs to improve their quality of life.

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Our thanks to the PDSA for their interesting and frank responses to our questions. It is heartening to hear that the leading organisations in canine health and welfare are showing a genuine commitment to ensuring that a full and comprehensive approach to health problems is in place.

The views of the PDSA are mirrored by many health and canine welfare specialists who have spoken to K9 Magazine who still believe that a lot more needs to be done to put things right and set us on the right path to a brighter future for dogs.

Author Details
Ryan O'Meara is editor-in-chief of K9 Magazine, the lifestyle magazine for dog lovers. He lives in the East Midlands with his own two dogs, Mia and Chloe. - See this author's webpage

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