KENNEL CLUB TO CLAMP DOWN ON BREEDERS TO
SAFEGUARD HEALTH OF PEDIGREE DOGS
The Kennel Club is launching a complete review of every pedigree
dog breed in the UK in a move that will have far-reaching benefits
for the health of many breeds. It has also called on the government
to give it the statutory powers to clamp down on breeders who fail
to make a dog's health their top priority.

A breed health plan will be coordinated for each of the UK's 209
pedigree breeds and will benefit from the extensive research that
has been funded by the Kennel Club in conjunction with renowned
veterinary research centres over the past 40+ years. This will
include updated breed standards to ensure that no dog is bred for
features that might prevent it from seeing, walking and breathing
freely. Judges will be fully briefed on the new breed standards so
that only the healthiest dogs are rewarded in the show ring.

The Kennel Club is releasing the first of these new breed standards
today, for the Pekingese, and has taken a tough line with the breed
following extensive and abortive consultations. This is set to
radically improve the health of the Pekingese which for nearly a
hundred years was bred to have a flat face; a feature which can
lead to breathing problems; under the new health plan the breed
will be required to have a defined muzzle.

The breed health plans, which are scheduled to be completed by
early next year, will also incorporate the results of a thorough,
ongoing analysis of the health status and genetic diversity of each
breed, drawing on results from the world's largest dog health survey,
conducted by the Animal Health Trust and funded by the Kennel Club
Charitable Trust in 2004. This will ensure that breeders and buyers
are aware of the health tests that should be carried out for each
breed. The final part of the plans will look at ways breeders can
expand the gene pool of the breed.

In order to ensure that the plans are effective and reach all dogs,
the Kennel Club has called on the government to give it statutory
powers to make its established Accredited Breeder Scheme compulsory
throughout the country.

If successful, this would mean that all breeders who are not part
of the scheme and who have not officially confirmed their
willingness to follow the health standards set by the Kennel Club
would be unable to produce or sell uppies within the law.

Additionally, breed clubs are n ow required to adopt the Kennel
Club's Code of Ethics, to ensure that their practices fall in line
with Kennel Club policy for putting the health and welfare of
puppies first. This includes a clause that explicitly forbids the
compulsory culling of healthy puppies.

To complement these steps the Kennel Club is developing plans for
a new Canine Genetics Centre. This will be run in conjunction with
the Animal Health Trust, confirming the Kennel Club's commitment
to research into inherited diseases and the provision of DNA
testing programmes which identify the genes underlying inherited
health problems.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: "The groundswell of
public attention on the very important matters surrounding dog
breeding is a welcomed momentum that will enable us to drive
through, with added urgency, now, and extended initiatives that
will help to safeguard the health of our pedigree dogs. We have
been listening and agree with the general public's view that
more needs to be done.

Steps such as our breed health plans will enable us to ensure that
the health of every dog is the number one priority and we are
taking a tougher line with breed clubs by adjusting those breed
standards that fail to promote good health. By asking the
government for statutory powers we will be able to take a tougher
line with all breeders and breed clubs that fail to abide by our
high standards. This in turn will enable us to extend the reach of
our Accredited Breeder Scheme, which is the quality control
mechanism within our registration process, so that all dogs will
be bred by people who abide by our stringent rules and
regulations for the breeding of healthy, happy dogs.

We have been working hard in recent years to identify and address
health problems that exist in dogs, and we are taking advantage of
the opportunities that advances in science have given us to improve
dog health. We look forward to continuing our work with various
institutions and organisations that share the same objective: to
protect the health and welfare of all dogs."

07th October 2008
For further information, images and interview requests please
contact: The Kennel Club press office 020 7518 1008
Press.office@...
<mailto:_Press.office@...>
mailto:Press.office@...
<mailto:Press.office@...>

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk