Helping dog breeders combat inherited diseases through understanding genetics.

The Animal Health Trust

The Animal Health Trust, in conjunction with The Kennel Club, aims to eradicate inherited diseases in dogs by the appliance of scientific knowledge. For a number of years, the Trust has focused on finding the genetic abnormalities responsible for a range of inherited diseases and then developing screening tests to identify the dogs that have these abnormal genes. The Trust offers over 20 such screening tests to dog breeders who, with this information, can establish breeding plans which will avoid the perpetuation of many inherited conditions. This work would not have been possible without the generous financial support provided by the Kennel Club and the willing co-operation of large numbers of dog breeders.
Dr Peter Webbon Chief Executive, The Animal Health Trust

Pet Care Trust

Owning a dog can be tremendously rewarding. It has been proven that
owning a dog brings a wide range of health and social benefits to owners
and their families. Knowledge of pedigree dog breeds can also help to
provide a more accurate picture of a dog's character, as well as of any
hereditary conditions, thereby enabling potential owners to make an
informed choice with regard to which dog is best suited to their
lifestyle.

The Pet Care Trust wholly supports the Kennel Club in its scientific
work to help breeders eradicate debilitating hereditary conditions from
pedigree breeds. Furthermore, the Trust applauds many of the KC's other
schemes that enhance the lives of all types of dogs and their owners,
such as their Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme, their 'Open for Dogs'
initiative, and KC Dog.

The British Veterinary Association

The BVA has for many years worked with the Kennel Club on the development of Canine Health Schemes, designed to assist dog breeders to breed only from dogs which have no or fewer signs of inherited disease.  The schemes not only help to reduce the incidence of inherited disease but also add to our understanding of breed related disease. During 2007 breeders spent some £1.5m on testing under the BVA/KC CHS and indeed, since the schemes began, have spent over £20m on hip scoring alone. The BVA supports any endeavours to improve the welfare of pedigree dogs and, as the only central body responsible, believes that the Kennel Club deserves the support of all breeders in its ongoing efforts, not least through the work of its Charitable Trust.

The Blue Cross

For some considerable time the Kennel Club, with the veterinary profession, has been working towards eliminating the problems of inherited disease and physical defects in dogs. The Blue Cross fully supports their work, and finds it disappointing that such a programme as this should reflect so little understanding of the progress which has been made.

Pedigree

At PEDIGREE our guiding principle is that everything we do is for the love of dogs. We work with bodies such as The Kennel Club to promote responsible dog ownership. We fully support the efforts made by The Kennel Club and responsible breeders to improve canine health.

DOG NEWS (USA)

The BBC Attack
The recent BBC attack on purebred dogs and some of their health problems was particularly egregious for a number of reasons. Firstly the Kennel Club had correctly or not worked closely with the production company Passionate Productions which had been making a film on the subject of canine health. Obviously with the hope of keeping a potential enemy close at hand in an effort to get its story across The Kennel Club was duped in the end result. To add insult to injury not only did the BBC buy the program, the BBC was kept abreast of The Kennel Club hard and positive work in these health areas. A fact, which from time to time these pages have kept our readers aware of us as well. Indeed more than virtually any kennel club in the world has The Kennel Club in the UK taken extraordinary steps in attempts to introduce positive breeding programs within the breeding community to help stamp out long standing health issues. It has gone so far as to controversially introduce the concept of health into a judge’s decision at the shows, something, to our knowledge, no other kennel club has ever even considered. And then to be stabbed in the back that way by both BBC and the production company is particularly upsetting and unfair. One bright spot of the course is that at least they were able to anticipate this unhappy event as was reported in the last weeks DOG NEWS thanks to the message sent to us by Ronnie Irving which was printed August 15th.

Reproduced by kind permission of Matt Stander.

DOG NEWS (USA)
August 22 2008, The Editorial

Carolyn Menteith

"I, like many other dog lovers and canine professionals, are still reeling from last night's programme 'Pedigree Dogs Exposed'. It was certainly both shocking and distressing, and I know will have upset dog lovers up and down the country. I do think it is a shame however that what is now an out-of-date story is being dredged up again without looking at both sides of the issue - I guess bad news and scandal sells but I expected at least impartiality from the BBC - and not a sensationalised witch hunt.

Ten years ago I would have totally agreed with this programme, and would have also argued that things desperately needed to change in the world of pedigree dogs and dog breeders - and indeed I felt so strongly about it that I wrote several articles about this very issue myself.

Since then however I have been impressed by the Kennel Club who, working with responsible and caring breeders, are making huge inroads into the problems facing many pedigree breeds. They are also certainly putting their money where their mouths are, with millions of pounds being spent to achieve this. Change can only happen from within - and that is certainly happening. There is, without doubt, still a very long way to go - and some breeds are still far from healthy with ongoing health problems, and indeed a minority of breeders have views that are hopelessly out of date and totally unacceptable - but in terms of changing entire breeds for the better, ten years is a very short time indeed and huge progress is being made.

Most breeders are responsible and genuinely care for the puppies they breed. As such they want to do all in their power to ensure that their dogs are healthy and happy. In 'Pedigree Dogs Exposed' all the progress made by the Kennel Club and these responsible breeders was not recognised, and indeed the public were emotionally force-fed a scandal that is nearly a decade out of date without showing them the positive side of the issue. I feel for the breeders who are doing everything right for their dogs - and who will be needlessly and unfairly vilified by this programme.

I was also surprised that the programme was not responsible enough to show where many of the true problems for pedigree dogs lie. That is within the world of the back yard breeder, the puppy farmer or the pet shop owner, who treats dogs as nothing more than money-making commodities, and who sell puppies to the unsuspecting public without any health checks being done on the parents or the puppies. These are the people this programme should have targeted.

I do however hope that something good comes out of this programme, and that it does at least ensure that potential owners now have the knowledge to research the health problems of the breed of their choice. Further I hope that it has highlighted the importance of finding a responsible breeder who does carry out every possible test on their dogs, who has healthy animals, and who works to ensure the health and happiness of their puppies - and the happiness of future owners."

Carolyn Menteith
Dog trainer and Behaviourist, Writer and Broadcaster

Marc Abrahams

I, like most dog fans, am very interested in watching tonight's screening of 'Pedigree Dogs Exposed' on BBC1 at 9pm.

But what I bet they won't show is the incredible work the Kennel Club have been doing in the last few years to improve the health and welfare of pedigree dogs.

For example, take a look at their hugely successful Accredited Breeders Scheme, which was set up with strict requirements and guidelines to: 'Reinforce the basic concepts of responsible breeding practice for novice breeders and puppy buyers as tried and tested by experienced breeders over many years.

In so doing, to promote relevant health screening across all relevant breeds and to provide greater substance to the perceived value of a Kennel Club Registration Certificate in the eyes of the general public.'

Couple this with promoting microchipping, their Charitable Trust, 'Open for Dogs' campaign highlighting dog-friendly hotels, restaurants and pubs and dog/human fitness campaigns too, the Kennel Club are doing so much to promote both canine heath and responsible pet ownership in this country.
Marc Abrahams
Paul O'Grady show vet

Roger Helmer

The BBC programme about pedigree dogs was a pure piece of tabloid sensationalism, and a hatchet-job so far as the Kennel Club is concerned.  It is certainly true that a number of breeds have experienced problems, but the Kennel Club has been at the forefront of work to correct problems and to ensure that pedigree breeds are healthy.  I sincerely believe that the great majority of pedigree dogs are healthy and well-cared for.
 
The fact is that the BBC chose to highlight a few cases of sick animals -- sadly there will always be sick animals -- and largely to ignore the responses of the Kennel Club.
 
Having on occasion done some work with the Kennel Club, I have no doubts about their concern for animal welfare.  Sadly, it is also the case that some breeders do not always live up to the high standards that the Club recommends.
 
Of course there is much that needs to be done on the animal welfare front, and we cannot afford to be complacent, but I think people are perhaps worrying more than they need to.

Roger Helmer MEP

Patsy Hollings

How very sad for dogs that the only thing the BBC was interested in, in making the recent programme, was sensationalism. However, that’s what provides them with their revenue, at the expense of owners of new puppies and dedicated breeders. Professional, caring committed breeders put massive energy into breeding sound dogs and will now be thought of as unscrupulous money-grabbing people who want to inflict pain and suffering on the animals they devote their lives to. Therefore potential owners of a pure bred puppy, whose characteristics can be researched, will be drawn to acquiring an irresponsibly bred puppy, i.e. a mongrel.

The word irresponsible is not used flippantly; taking a dog into your home to live with your family is a very serious business and should be researched with the same consideration as having a baby, yet realising this is not a being with human traits but a pack animal. A puppy produced by allowing the bitch to get with a mate she finds, gives no knowledge to the owner of what genes will have been inherited.

After all, even mongrels have a pedigree; we just don’t know it, so data on health issues etc cannot be collated. Personally, we have a hydrotherapy pool for dogs and all our clients are referred to us by vets. The majority of dogs we swim are mongrels, so what does that say?!

We have bred pedigree dogs since 1972, and our main breed since 1976. We have established a line that is respected throughout the world, as have many other breeders. Why would we breed dogs with known inherent problems when we live, eat and breathe our chosen breed? Our aim is to keep the breed we are passionate about moving forward with good health, and good temperament, so the public can enjoy the dog and their canine friend enjoys a happy stress-free healthy life.

However, we are working with nature here, not putting nuts and bolts together, so abnormalities can occur occasionally. Consequently by working within the structure of our governing body, the Kennel Club, we can avoid problems being repeated and even alleviate hereditary ones, something that could not happen without the Kennel Club.

The Kennel Club is not a dictatorship (thank goodness) and we are not a nanny state, yet. Respect must be shown to breeders - working together is the only way forward.

There will always be ignorant people breeding for money, or with an idealistic view. Unfortunately that cannot be stopped but the media should be more concerned about their viewer and present an objective approach to whatever subject they are presenting.

Patsy Hollings

Additional messages of support

In addition to the statements published here, the KC has received messages supporting the work the KC is undertaking, with breeders, to improve the health of pedigree dogs, from organizations including Dogs Trust and from as far afield as DOGS Victoria, in Australia.