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Posted: 4th June 2024

Surrey Uni calls for dog breeding changes
A societal demand for 'cute' characteristics has resulted in unsustainable demand.
It says resulting welfare issues contravene Animal Welfare Act.

The University of Surrey has called for policymakers to make changes to dog breeding practices, in a briefing released this week.

The report states that irresponsible practices from dog breeders were leading to animal welfare issues, which are in contravention of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

The university accuses a societal demand for ‘cute’ characteristics in dogs was resulting in an unsustainable demand for puppies. This is leading to poorer breeding practices and puppy smuggling.

It says that over half of veterinary surgeons consider this to be the most pressing issue.

The university is therefore calling for the UK government to uphold the Animal Welfare Act more strictly, stating that animal welfare suffers when ‘the spirit of the law’ is not enacted. It says that the current system of breeding remains ‘unscientific’.

It also believes that the system behind breeding dogs is outdated, and means that poor breeding practices continue.

The Kennel Club holds breed descriptions, closed stud books and promotes breed purity, with many breeders following its guidance. University of Surrey says that the current system continues to produce sick dogs, which have shorter life expectancies and require veterinary treatment.

The use of closed stud books for breeding small genetic populations has been called unsustainable.

The University of Surrey suggests that crossbreeding, and opening breed registers, could be the only way to saving breeds from extinction. This could mean that some breeds may need to look different than their modern appearance in order to survive.

It also recommends a policy of estimating breeding values, rather than health testing dogs, to better manage the risk of inherited diseases.

The report suggests that current rules treat breeding as an ‘amateur endeavour’, rather than a science. This means that the current process of health testing dogs is insufficient.

Addressing the growth of puppy farms and dog smuggling, the briefing calls for puppy demand to be managed only through a stable supply within the country’s own market. This might include a reevaluation of breeding guidelines, away from pedigree to crossbred dogs.

Finally the University of Surrey has called on policymakers to support to dog owners who wish to breed from their animals, rather than consigning breeding to a select group.

Clare Rusbridge, professor of veterinary neurology at the University of Surrey and the paper’s author, said: “We can restore health through genetic breeding.

“It used to be regarded as a skill of a breeder to cross-breed in specific traits and we can encourage this practice. We need to cross-breed these animals for their health and their survival.”

The full report can be found here.

Image © Shutterstock



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