New Position Paper responds to concerns expressed by Norwegian court
The WSAVA shares the concerns recently expressed by the Norwegian court regarding the breeding of English Bulldogs and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. It confirms its support for the efforts of Animal Protection Norway and the Norwegian Animal Welfare Act, which states that: ‘Breeding should promote traits that provide robust animals with good function and health.’
In a new Position Paper, the WSAVA calls for a much greater focus on health screening of breeding animals and educating the public. This includes, for instance, encouraging them to ask breeders for veterinary documentation of pre-breeding health screening results on the parents of puppies and kittens. It urges that the selection of breeding dogs and cats should avoid extreme conformation that predisposes to disease and poor welfare.
The Chair of the WSAVA Hereditary Disease Committee, Dr Jerold Bell, says: “We recognize the serious welfare issues that exist in relation to brachycephaly, as well as other extreme anatomy and hereditary diseases in dogs and all purposefully-bred animals. We believe that health-focused breeding and husbandry practices are the means to improve the health and welfare of these animals. This is effectively health quality control.”
Dr. Jerold Bell
Chair of the WSAVA Hereditary Disease Committee
The public’s affection for these popular breeds demands a greater focus on education around healthy breeding and welfare because altered public demand will encourage the breeding practices that produce healthier pets and, over time, create real change.
The work of the WSAVA Hereditary Disease Committee is kindly supported by 