KC responses to TV programme

The Kennel Club’s Plans Following the Broadcast of Passionate Productions
Programme – Pedigree Dogs
Exposed

11-Sep-08

It was agreed at the General Committee meeting on September 2, to outline
clearly all of the
activity that is currently being undertaken in the area of breed health and the
Kennel Club’s plans
for the future.

The Kennel Club strongly rejects any implication in the programme that it is
complacent, or that it
has failed to take seriously, or act on the issues covered by the programme.
This is fundamentally
not the case.  Undoubtedly the programme was made to an agenda, and therefore
relied on the
sensational to make its points, resulting in what we believe was an extremely
biased piece of
television, which not only ignored much of the excellent work already underway,
but also offered no
solutions of its own!

Indeed, by its lack of balance and criticism of those in the Kennel Club and the
breed clubs who are
working so hard to find practical ways to promote breed health, it potentially
set the agenda back,
rather than moving it forward.  That said, we acknowledge that many of those
watching are unaware of
our work, and it is therefore incumbent on the Kennel Club to take positive
action to refute such
poor journalism.  We believe that our best response therefore is a simple but
clear examination of
the facts, and effective communication of the robust measures we are putting in
place.

VAST MAJORITY HEALTHY

The Kennel Club acknowledges that some breeds do have problems and has been
taking action for many
years to deal with them. However, our extensive research underlines the fact
that the vast majority
of breeds and dogs are healthy.

Thankfully, few of us, or of the general pet owning public, will have seen any
of the problems which
were portrayed as commonplace on the TV programme.  Neither the 160,000 visitors
to Crufts
<http://www.crufts.org.uk>  this year, nor the many millions of other dog loving
viewers who watch
it on television,  will have recognised the description “disabled mutants in a
freakish, garish
beauty pageant” from what they saw – which was beautiful, healthy animals
interacting with proud and
loving owners! This is the reality, and while it is of course legitimate to
investigate dog health,
we do not feel that it is legitimate to portray the findings of those
investigations in such a
one-sided way which completely ignores the efforts of all those most closely
involved with dog
health.

PROUD OF ACTIONS TAKEN

To repeat, the KC is far from complacent; where health is concerned more can
always be done – and it
is being done.  The Kennel Club is proud of the many actions which it and the
many breeders and
breed clubs have been taking for over 20 years to improve canine health and
welfare, and just how
far we have already come. For example:

.        The development of the KC/BVA health screening programmes

.        The funding and support to enable a vast number of DNA tests to be
developed

.        The many breed club health programmes

.        The health initiatives in partnership with the veterinary profession

.        The Kennel Club Accredited <http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/203>
Breeder Scheme

.        The introduction of working stock to widen gene pools in some breeds

.        The KC/BSAVA canine health survey of 52,000 dogs

.        The health inspired changes to breed standards

.        The education programmes for judges and breeders

.        The canine research projects funded by the Kennel Club
<http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/meet/charitable_trust.html>  Charitable Trust

.        The recent facilitation of the Imperial College work quoted in the TV
programme

.        The introduction of the ‘Fit for function: fit for life’ campaign

And there are many more initiatives. The Kennel Club is a concerned and
conscientious organisation
which has as its main objective ‘the general improvement of dogs’. As such it
defends the
commendable actions of responsible breeders, and is proud of the role it has
played in both
developing and promoting them.

Future plans:

While the Kennel Club already had in place an ongoing detailed strategic plan to
deal with all the
key health issues, the recent Pedigree Dogs Exposed programme has catapulted
this topic firmly into
the public eye and has added urgency to our existing activity.  Some of this
activity has already
been announced, but the Kennel Club would like to take this opportunity to
outline generally what
initiatives are currently under consideration.

REPUTATION OF DOG BREEDERS AND THE KENNEL CLUB:

ACTIONS WITHIN THE WORLD OF PEDIGREE DOGS

The Kennel Club will make full use of the measures it has within its remit and
authority to ensure
that all breed clubs and councils encourage their members to undertake health
screening appropriate
to each breed and that individual breeders reach the highest possible standards
of husbandry and
welfare.

The Kennel Club Breed Health and Welfare Strategy Group (BHWSG) will continue to
play a major role
in this. It consists of a number of people as follows:

.        Dr Ruth Barbour, BA., MB ChB, FRCGP (Chairman)

.        Prof. Mike Herrtage, MA, BVSc, DVR, DVD, DSAM, DECVIM, DECVDI, MRCVS,
Dean of Cambridge
Veterinary School

.        Prof. Sheila Crispin, MA,VetMB, BSc, PhD, DVA, DVOpthal, DipECVO,
FRCVS, Past President of
the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

.        Frank Kane, Chairman Kennel Club Breed Standards Committee

.        Meg Purnell-Carpenter, Vice-Chairman Kennel Club Breed Standards
Committee

.        Ronnie Irving, Kennel Club Chairman

.        Caroline Kisko, BSc, Kennel Club Secretary

KC Health Department

.        Dr Jeff Sampson, BSc DPhil, Genetics Advisor

.        Bill Lambert, Health & Information Manager

.        Diana Brooks-Ward, BSc, Health Co-ordinator

Those breed clubs and councils which have been consulting and making progress
with the Kennel Club
can expect to continue to do so – with renewed vigour and determination.

Some breed organisations, especially any which may have been unwilling to
co-operate with Kennel
Club demands benefitting the health of the breed, can expect the Kennel Club to
be tougher on them
and to take unilateral action to enforce its demands if necessary.

There are already plans underway for members of the Breed Health and Welfare
Strategy Group, to deal
with issues regarding the following breeds over the next few weeks and months:
German Shepherd Dogs,
Basset Hounds, Bloodhounds, Neapolitan Mastiffs, Dogues De Bordeaux, and a joint
meeting of
representatives of a number of brachicephalic breeds such as the Pug and the
French Bulldog.

A special meeting will be held to deal with issues regarding the Pekingese Breed
Standard. It will
also look at the possibility of other measures, in the event of breeders or
judges refusing to
accede to Kennel Club requests.

Veterinary Passport

We are also considering the introduction of a ‘Veterinary Passport’ before
allowing certain breeds
to compete at Kennel Club licensed dog shows. This would be designed
specifically for particular
breeds, confirming the status of a dog’s health and conformation in relation to
certain prescribed
aspects before they could be shown.

Codes of Ethics

To ensure consistency across all breeds, the Kennel Club is reviewing  its own
Code of Ethics
<http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/247> , taking the Animal Welfare Act into
consideration and
adding such items as ‘culling’ as an unacceptable practice in relation to non
breed standard traits.
As stated some 20 years ago and that remains in the case.

The Kennel Club considers culling to be unacceptable and in fact required the
Dalmatian breed clubs
to remove this requirement from the breed code of ethics some twenty years ago
and had instructed
the Rhodesian Ridgeback clubs to remove the requirement from their codes of
ethics.

KC Registered Breed Clubs will, in future, be instructed that they must adopt
the Kennel Club’s Code
of Ethics and that any additions or departures from these must be referred to –
and be approved by –
the Kennel Club.  These will form part of Breed Club Annual Returns in future.

Kennel Club Challenge Certificates

Challenge Certificates, the means of creating champions, are entirely within the
gift of the Kennel
Club and the allocation to each breed will be reviewed.  The General Committee
has agreed that the
allocation to breeds should, in future, take much greater account of the
willingness of those clubs
and breeders and judges involved in each breed to deal positively with health
and welfare issues.

Judges

Reinforcing the many actions already taken to train and emphasise to judges the
paramount importance
of health and welfare issues, a conference of Group and Best in Show judges is
to be held.  This
will ensure that all of these senior people are given the opportunity to lead
the way in recognising
the responsibilities they have, and to stress the actions which will be taken if
judges fail to
place health and welfare considerations sufficiently high when judging.

Consideration is also to be given to requiring breed clubs and councils to
organise, every few
years, conferences at which mainly specialist CC judges would be required to
attend to review breed
health and welfare and endeavour to avoid detrimental exaggerations.

Judges’ ongoing performance will be kept under review to ensure that health
remains an important
priority for all when judging.

Line Breeding and Genetic Diversity

The Kennel Club’s Geneticist, Dr Jeff Sampson has been involved with Imperial
College on this issue
for some three years, and is to continue the work started with them.  This work
will examine the
available research findings, specifically considering the evidence relating to
close matings and
frequently used sires.  To speed the process, Dr Sampson will enlist the help of
a quantitative
geneticist to develop this work further.

KENNEL CLUB ACCREDITED BREEDER SCHEME – THE IMPORTANCE OF ITS SUCCESS

Individual breeders lie at the heart of the continuing improvement of the health
of our pedigree
dogs.  Therefore the Kennel Club’s major health emphasis for the future of
pedigree dogs in this
country is going to be through the further development of the Kennel Club
Accredited Breeder Scheme
<http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/203> .

Currently the scheme, which is now just over four years old, is being reviewed
and the Kennel Club
will be outlining its proposals shortly.

To be effective, the scheme must be supported by all responsible dog breeders if
it is to be taken
seriously by government and by the puppy buying public.  Some breeders have had
doubts about joining
and indicating their willingness to support this voluntary scheme.  While the
ABS is not the
complete answer, it does give breeders a way of demonstrating their commitment
to dog health and
welfare.  If serious breeders had doubts about joining before the broadcast of
the recent TV
programme then it is hoped that the importance of having such a scheme was
underlined, and the
necessity of everyone working together is vital. The KC is also totally
committed to promoting the
scheme to the wider public and ensuring its success.

SELF REGULATION OR LEGISLATION?

Breeders should recognise that the alternative to being guided by the Kennel
Club is to be
legislated by government or a government supported organisation.  If it is
shown that the dog world
is unable or unwilling to clean up its own act – then recent events should
indicate the way in which
such external legislation could go.  In Pedigree Dogs Exposed, the RSPCA’s Chief
Vet made the
following statements:

“The RSPCA is extremely concerned about the very high levels of disability,
deformity and disease in
pedigree dogs.”

“The cause is very simple: it is competitive dog showing.  That is what has
caused the problem.”

  “This is a no-brainer.  Of course we have to change.  We have to encourage
those involved in the
industry to do a complete top to bottom review of both Breed Standards and the
rules and regulations
of dog showing, to move it away from its obsession with beauty through to
quality of life.  But
unless we start now, the pedigree dog hasn’t got a chance.”

These are the views of the organisation which wants to take a leading role in
controlling dog
breeding in this country – and it is what we risk if initiatives such as the
Accredited Breeder
Scheme do not succeed.  The Kennel Club needs to prove these views wrong.

GENERAL PUBLIC AND OTHER EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS –

COMMUNICATIONS PLANS

Media

Relationship with the BBC. It is inevitable that this programme has put strains
on the relationship
between the KC and the BBC.  Legal constraints prevent us at this stage from
going into details on
how that will move forward.  Suffice it to say that the Kennel Club believes
that the recent
programme ‘Pedigree Dogs Exposed’:

.        was biased and selective

.        did not correctly or fairly represent the work, efforts and investment
in health by
breeders and the Kennel Club

.        was through its sensationalist presentation, potentially damaging to
the work being done
to improve health, and directly damaging to the reputation of pedigree dogs,
breeders and the Kennel
Club.

However, again our best response here is a positive one. The Kennel Club will be
in discussions with
the BBC about all future programming plans, and wishes it to highlight the
health and welfare work
that is and has been going on.  The world of pedigree dogs deserves an
opportunity to present a
balanced perspective on the subject and be allowed to repair some of the damage
which has been done
to its reputation.

  Future broadcast coverage. Despite our disappointment with this particular
programme, the Kennel
Club has no wish to withdraw from open dialogue with programme makers and, will
assess all
opportunities as they occur with a view to ensuring positive TV coverage of
responsible dog
breeders, owners and pedigree dogs in general. To this end, a number of other
detailed ideas are
being explored.  Local radio stations continue to offer us a good route to
reach the pet owning
public and to spread our messages regarding the advantages of pedigree dog
ownership.

Develop http://www.doggenetichealth.org <http://www.doggenetichealth.org/>  website and
stress throughout
the existing Fit for Function: Fit for Life campaign.  Further developments on
this campaign will be
unveiled in due course.

Information regarding available health tests per breed will be tailored for and
included with
registration documents and as part of the Kennel Club Puppy Sales Register
information pack –
building on the existing generic information.

Health booklet.  A booklet will be developed as a single source to highlight all
the work which has
been undertaken and which is being undertaken and planned, to improve the health
of pedigree dogs –
including research projects currently in hand, details of available health
surveys, screening
schemes, DNA schemes and the health work funded by the Kennel Club Charitable
Trust.  This will
enable us to ensure that all who are interested can easily see the amount of
work being undertaken
both by the KC and by breed clubs.

RSPCA

A meeting has already been held between the Kennel Club and senior
representatives of the RSPCA and
further meetings will follow.  The true position of dog breeders and all of the
work currently
taking place is being fully communicated to the RSPCA and the Kennel Club is
endeavouring to
establish the official position of the RSPCA as an organisation, and its views
on pedigree dogs and
dog shows.  The Kennel Club is taking a robust and proactive line in these
discussions, pointing out
that in fact both organisations have the same agenda – better dog health.

The Veterinary Profession

The Kennel Club will continue to build on existing relationships and projects
with the veterinary
profession. These already include close contact and meetings with the Office
Bearers of the relevant
Veterinary bodies, Senior Academics of the Veterinary Schools, presence of
Kennel Club documentation
in veterinary practices, visits of veterinary students to Crufts and a whole
range of other
activities.

Full information on all the work undertaken by the Kennel Club and breed clubs
will also be made
freely available to veterinary professionals to ensure that they are aware of
all that is being
undertaken.

CONCLUSION

The Kennel Club is, and always has been, very well aware of the problems faced
by some pedigree dog
breeds.  It has, along with many responsible dog breeders, been tackling these
constructively for
many years. It has never made a secret of any of these problems and it is well
aware of its
responsibilities.  The Kennel Club can demonstrate the huge number of ways in
which it is
discharging these responsibilities.

The Kennel Club will continue to research new ways of improving the health of
dogs but it is proud
of its record in this area and will continue in the future to carry out and
develop its current
health and welfare policies.  All of these are designed to achieve its overall
objective – “The
general improvement of dogs”.