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Australia waits....

frecklesmom

Well-known member
This today........

An expose on the dark side of dog breeding is expected to incite outrage.
AUSTRALIAN pedigree dog breeders are bracing themselves for the fallout from revelations of appalling health problems in pure-bred dogs caused by modern breeding practices.
Australia's main body for pedigree dogs, the Australian National Kennel Council, has appointed a public relations officer to deal with media interest from a BBC documentary, Pedigree Dogs Exposed, scheduled to show on ABC1 on September 10.
Following last year's UK screening of the documentary - billed ''the greatest animal welfare scandal of our time'' - the BBC and RSPCA pulled out of Britain's prestigious Crufts dog show, held in March this year, citing health concerns of several breeds.
Former RSPCA state president Hugh Wirth said the documentary ''forced the issue [in the UK] and it will force the issue here''.
The documentary shows graphic footage of dogs suffering walking, breathing, mating and birthing difficulties and high rates of diseases including cancer and heart disease. It blames breeders who try to achieve an unnatural appearance in their dogs to win dog shows.
In one disturbing scene, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel writhes in permanent agony due to syringomyelia, a condition where the brain becomes too large for the skull. In another, a boxer is shown having an epileptic fit.
Other troubled dogs shown in the program include bulldogs, Pekingese, Rhodesian ridgebacks, pugs, basset hounds, labradors, golden retrievers and West Highland terriers.
Pedigree dogs are bred to standards originally set up in the 19th century by the British Kennel Club. Cross-breds are far healthier because cross-breeding widens the gene pool.
The documentary blames dog shows run by the kennel club as driving the demand for unnatural appearance, fed by breeders who are prepared to mate siblings and parent and child to achieve a certain look.
Since the documentary, UK show rules have been changed to state ''more clearly than ever'' that judges should only ''reward those dogs that are healthy representatives of their breed''.
But dog breeders in Australia say most breeders are responsible dog lovers who want to produce healthy pets.
Peter Higgins, the spokesman appointed by the Australian National Kennel Council to deal with public interest in the documentary, accused it of being ''one-sided''.
''To say it's as common as they say it is, it's just not right. What responsible breeders do is try to minimise that - they spend money and years of hard work trying to get rid of their diseases, not make them more so.
''These people love their dog, they love their breed and they want to do the best thing for it, not the worst.''
Dr Higgins said ''backyard breeders'' and ''fly-by-night'' people were the problem. He said the overwhelming majority of registered breeders - those who belonged to the kennel council through state organisations such as Dogs Victoria - were responsible and ''trying to do the right thing''.
Dr Wirth, however, said the documentary was justified even though ''a minority of breeders'' were responsible for poorly bred dogs.
''You've got the irresponsible, who don't know anything, who kid themselves they know a lot and are trying to destroy a breed because of their own stupidity. I made a huge amount of money [as a vet] trying to correct the poor unfortunate dogs with inherited defects.''
Dr Wirth said there were examples where local dog shows also rewarded improper breeding. ''I can give you chapter and verse where judges had been persuaded for whatever reason to reward things that don't meet the standard,'' he said.
Dr Wirth said the irresponsible minority ''get away with it because the state authorities claim not to be able to control them. I am talking about Dogs Victoria … It's a dereliction of duty, as far as I am concerned.''
Dogs Victoria president Peter Frost, a breeder of Irish setters and judge at dog shows, said most irresponsible breeders didn't come under the umbrella of Dogs Victoria.
''We have a code of ethics, which says: 'I am breeding to improve the dog.' The vast majority of breeders are ethically responsible and adhere to the code of practice. Most people, whether they're breeders or judges, are responsible.
''It would horrify me if I sold a puppy to somebody and it had a bad disease or a bad temperament or something diabolically wrong with it,'' Mr Frost said. ''I'd be ashamed and I'd be horrified if I put a family through unnecessary pain.''
Mr Frost said educating buyers was the best solution.
A spokeswoman for RSPCA Australia, Lisa Chalk, also urged buyers to research the breed they wanted to buy and insist on health checks.
She said the problem of improperly bred dogs was ''definitely an issue but the extent of the issue in Australia we don't know. We don't have the statistics.''

http://www.theage.com.au/national/breeders-brace-for-howls-of-protest-20090829-f3cf.html
 
Australia Waits.......

I have asked this question at the Kennel Club ,I will mention here again,in Frecklesmum's Post ,it mentions that UK Show Rules have been changed to state more clearly than ever ,that Judges should should only reward those Dogs that are Healthy Representatives of their Breed.How does a Cavalier Judge know about the SM or MVD Health Problem in the Cavaliers they are Judging?

Carol has mentioned on her Web Site, CAVALIERCAMPAIGN ,I think it was, that unless ,we will mention Cavaliers, if they don't have a Certificate showing that they have no sign of either SM or MVD ,should the Cavalier Owners be being allowed to show them.

Another question I have , is, I have been told on a few occasions ,that the UK CKCS CLUB is a Private Club,that they can't force the CLUB Members to obey the CLUB's Breeding Guidelines, that the Club can only Recommend the Breeding Guidelines.

So really what clout has the CKCS CLUB got, is it only for orginizing Shows. That really lets some CKCS Club Member Cavalier Breeders go their own Merry Way,in their Breeding Policies.I know the Club has given Funds for Research into the Cavalier Health Troubles, but should the Cavalier Club go the extra mile ,and make Mandatory Health Testing compulsary for all Cavalier Club Member's Breeding Stock.

Bet(Hargreaves)
 
Sad to say, Bet, but the CKCS Club still has a long way to go even in recommendations. CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL CLUB CODE OF BEST PRACTICE states not to breed bitch b/4 16 mo-excuse me-where are they even promoting the MVD protocol.

No bitch to be mated so as to whelp before she is 16 months old, and then only if she is considered mature enough to raise a litter of puppies.

http://www.thecavalierclub.co.uk/start.html
 
I read that in the print news media, and somewhat similar to what was mentioned the other day in the newspaper The Sydney Morning Herald.

By the way, via this link address you can see a short Preview of what Australians will see on their TV sets, on the page that loads in click on the button "Watch Preview".
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/video/preview.htm#?vid=PRM0072125pedigree
.
 
Australia Waits

I just can't understand the attitude of some Cavalier Breeders here in Britain about the forth-coming PDE Program to be televised in Australia.

If the PDE TV Film had not exposed the suffering of Cavaliers with SM ,or the MVD Problem afflicting Cavaliers, would the Public have known any -thing about those two Health Conditions in our Breed.

I don't think so .

Bet (Hargreaves)
 
If the PDE TV Film had not exposed the suffering of Cavaliers with SM ,or the MVD Problem afflicting Cavaliers, would the Public have known any -thing about those two Health Conditions in our Breed.


Well Bet, I can only say that a few months before the PDE prog I had my 14 year old Shih Tzu pts. From when I first got him at 9 months he had 'funny little quirks' that we often laughed at. We realised whilst watching the prog that he had displayed the typical Air Scratching, occasional Bunny Hopping, Dislike of groming around neck area etc ,and towards the end hiding in a cool place under the table. All obvious signs of SM if you know what to look for!! We didn't then, but we sure as hell do now. You can imagine how we felt.
 
I keep saying this but i will say it once again, the kennel club need to see certificates of heart and clear mri scans before registering new puppies and claiming them as a pedigree. Therefore any dogs being sold with a viable pedigree can at least give the buyers some insurance that every step was taken to produce healthy youngsters.
 
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