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Campaign to improve the health of Pedigree Dogs
Welfare Reports - Page 2
CAWC Towards an independent advisory body on tackling genetic welfare problems in companion animals (February 2009)
This report acknowledged the increased level of interest in tackling genetic welfare problems particularly relating to dogs, referring to the All Party Group on Animal Welfare (APGAW), the Dogs Trust / Kennel Club independent review under Sir Patrick Bateson, and the recently published RSPCA report (Rooney and Sargan, 2009).
It was agreed that the advisory body should be independent and would need to be constituted so as to cover a spectrum of relevant sectors and interests. It would set its own priorities in the light of information about welfare problems.
The scope and terms of reference of an advisory body would include all companion animals; consider the best ways forward for tackling genetic welfare problems on a breed by breed (or strain) basis; advise and promote the development of breeding strategies; make recommendations about research priorities; and communicate its findings effectively.
A start will be made by engaging CAWC as the parent body for the advisory group and appointing a steering group to begin work and to look at funding.
This report has been submitted to the APGAW and Bateson inquiries whose findings will in turn inform the new advisory group.
The full reports of the above may be viewed here.
Pedigree dog breeding in the UK: a major welfare concern? Dr Nicola Rooney and Dr David Sargan (February 2009)
An independent scientific report commissioned by the RSPCA.
This report identified that many dogs of different breeds experience compromised welfare due to the effects of selective breeding practices. It identified two welfare issues: exaggerated anatomical features that reduce quality of life; and the increased prevalence of inherited disorders.
It endorses the findings of the CAWC Report of 2006 that the welfare issues are serious and widespread. The report suggests that measures taken so far to reduce or eradicate these problems have had only limited success, due in part because most screening programs are voluntary.
The report's recommendations include: systematic collection of disease and mortality data; banning close matings; opening stud books; an ethical review of all breeds; increasing genetic diversity; making registration of dogs conditional on the health screening of parents; introducing codes of practice that prioritise health, welfare and temperament; educating the public that a desirable dog is one that experiences high welfare; the development of schemes for calculating estimated breeding values (EBVs) for genetic diseases.
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