Jan
RSPCA Responds to Bateson Report “The World has Woken Up”
Dog Welfare Report: New Panel Needed To Oversee Pedigree Health
A new report published today (Thursday) has been welcomed by the RSPCA for its recognition that pedigree dog health and welfare is a serious problem and urgent action is needed.
The Independent Inquiry Into Dog Breeding, commissioned by the Kennel Club and the Dogs Trust, is written by leading zoologist Professor Sir Patrick Bateson who concludes that ‘dog breeding raises a number of serious concerns about the welfare of dogs’.
He recommends that a new advisory panel should be set up, an idea the RSPCA supports – however we are concerned that the panel won’t have the necessary power to push through the real change that’s clearly urgently required.
RSPCA chief veterinary adviser Mark Evans said: “The world has woken up to the extremely unpalatable truth that the health and welfare of many pedigree dogs is seriously compromised as a result of the way they are bred. Pedigree dogs need our help and they need it now.
“Some are suffering as a result of what Darwin’s disciples might refer to as ‘unnatural selection’ – survival of the most fashionable rather than the fittest. This report is what we have all been waiting for and we hope that now we can all get on and start working towards meaningful change for pedigree dogs.
“We’re delighted that Professor Bateson agrees with the RSPCA that something has to be done, but we are disappointed he hasn’t recommended that the advisory panel should be given the appropriate power to be effective. What is encouraging is that, when asked by the RSPCA, Professor Bateson acknowledged that in an ideal world the government would give the panel statutory powers.”
We fully support the inquiry’s conclusion that information on diseases suffered by dogs should be collected and in fact this was the top recommendation made in an independent report commissioned by the RSPCA, Pedigree Dog Breeding in the UK: A Major Welfare Concern?*
As a result, the RSPCA is already working with the University of Sydney and the Royal Veterinary College on a three-year research project to create a new, electronic, system for collecting, analysing and reporting data on inherited disorders in both dogs and cats. When complete, for the first time in the UK there will be comprehensive data to show the prevalence of inherited disorders in specific breeds. Vitally this will allow the effectiveness of any new breeding initiatives to be monitored.
Mark Evans said: “We agree with Professor Bateson that consumer pressure is the greatest lever for change. The way to solve this is through people power. Changing the industry will take some time, but the public can start to demand better quality animals that are in good health right now.
“We will now study the report in more detail and come up with a full response.”
As Professor Bateson has already agreed and the RSPCA has called for, there needs to be an urgent meeting of all relevant stakeholders to review all recommendations in all three reports,* to prioritise them, and to come up with a robust, workable action plan with clearly identified objectives, responsibilities and deadlines. Clearly an important part of this will be setting up some form of independent advisory body to oversee dog breeding and supply in the UK.
Can I also point out the following conclusions from the report:
“In some instances, continued selection for certain characteristics can only continue because they are supported by veterinary medicine, which means that the faults can be corrected or compensated by surgery which in itself can cause a welfare problem and even require more than one operation.”
“It is only the ready availability of modern veterinary medicine that has permitted some conditions – such as the inability to give birth without surgical intervention – to become widespread.”
“The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the BVA, working with the profession as a whole, should lead a shift in emphasis to preventative veterinary medicine rather than simply the correction of problems after they have occurred.”
I’m afraid that vets need to accept that they have had a role in the creation of these problems too.
The issues pertaining to inherited disorders in pedegree dogs is a very serious one and I applaud the work of the Independant assessment.
Sadly Animal welfare has seemingly stalled since the introduction of the new Animal Welfare Act in 2007 and statistics show that cruelty and abandonment are increasing and it must not be seen as being related in any way to the present circumstances relating to the alleged recession.
Animal welfare must continue to improve in all areas and not only in the public domain but by those that preach animal welfare / animal rights.
Hence I strongly believe the need to call for the imediate ban on the callous use of captive bolt guns and pithing to kill domestic pets, namely dogs.
Domestic Pets Need your support
My petition has been approved by the Number 10 web team, and
is now available on the Number 10 website at the following
address: please read and sign.
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Boltguns/
My petition reads:
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Ban the use
of Captive bolt guns as a method for killing domestic pets
We call for the imediate ban on the callous use of captive bolt
guns followed by pithing as a method to euthanase domestic pets
such as dogs. There is no need for this method to be used on
pets yet horrifically this cruel action is being used by a
major animal welfare charity.
personly i think they should have someone kind of dog breeding suitabilty certificate which very single dog should have before they can be bred!
it should make all health and genetic testing a legal requirment and if the dog fails one test, it should be neutered to prevent it from ever breeding, as some irresponsible breeders will bred it any way as they care about the money not the health of the dogs.