Cavalier Club support

[Kate H]

There is a piece on the home page of the Cavalier Club website encouraging people to offer their older Cavaliers who appear to be SM free to see if they are suitable for the Rupert's Fund MRI scheme - especially if they come from much-used lines. The information stresses how important this is for the genome research (it would have been even better if they'd mentioned Rupert's Fund, but hey, they've got to walk before they can run!). The important thing is that more suitable dogs come forward.

Kate, Oliver and Aled

[sins]

Hi Kate,
I initially thought that too,but the homepage on the CavalierClub website refers to the Cavalier Club donation which has been made to the SM DNA research fund.It's just that the announcement didn't clearly specify the source of the funding.
The objective of the Club donation is exactly the same as Rupertsfund. So the DNA research project now has funding from two sources. Maggie Ford has clarified this on CC.
Sins

[Karlin]

Yes mentioned this the other day on a different post about our current fund figures, that it was wonderful the UK Club is now also supporting the scheme as it is breeders who directly benefit. It is unfortunate though that the Club refused to post for the past 6 months to let breeders know there was funding from Rupert's Fund for scans although I am aware it was requested/suggested several times by various people-- fortunately good publicity across several lists and via club members themselves has meant many club breeders were able to find out and avail of funding anyway.

It would still be beneficial to members of the club to know that once this £2000 is depleted, there remain many thousands of additional pounds available for scanning from Rupert's Fund if they speak to the researchers, so perhaps they will eventually let their members know or the good word of mouth -- as noted already by Kate and others who attended the Blenheim show and spoke to breeders -- will continue to keep breeders informed on key health matters, projects and funding through alternative means than the club and KC website.

It would also be a wonderful step forward, as also mentioned in that previous post, if the CKCSC and other clubs would set up a similar fund as the UK fund and Rupert's Fund, as this research benefits international breeders and SM is not even included as a health issue breeders would want to test for or be concerned about in the recent change in CKCSC 'health' policy policy, where they inexcusably dropped the MVD Protocol completely (not 'amended' as some have tried to claim -- the protocol came not from breeders but from the expert medical community, based on solid research, and they are the only ones who can 'amend' the protocol . Breeders either use THE protocol, or they do not. The medical community that created the protocol has not lowered the minimum age at which they advise breeders to auscultate and use their dogs for breeding. Sadly therefore the CKCSC has unanimously voted on its board to DROP the protocol in favour of a wishy washy approach clearly introduced to allow US club members to breed dogs at a younger age.

[anniemac]

It would also be a wonderful step forward, as also mentioned in that previous post, if the CKCSC and other clubs would set up a similar fund as the UK fund and Rupert's Fund, as this research benefits international breeders and SM is not even included as a health issue breeders would want to test for or be concerned about in the recent change in CKCSC 'health' policy policy, where they inexcusably dropped the MVD Protocol completely

I agree Karlin because I see Canada and the UK doing things (which is great) but we do need somthing done here. I was on the Internet and searching for Regional groups and even just Cavalier informal groups to start making phone calls! I saw the events on Cavalier Health but they are in Chicago and California. If we could just reach out to cities all over the US. It starts with one phone call.

[Oreo]

All over Canada would be nice as well. There is a cluster of breeders in Southern Ontario that seem to be working together, with a few stragglers from elsewhere, but here on the Prairies (Alberta/Saskatchewan) the same could not be said, and last I inquired I got the same 'haven't seen it in my lines' replies.

Oreo

[Margaret C]

we do need somthing done here. I was on the Internet and searching for Regional groups and even just Cavalier informal groups to start making phone calls! I saw the events on Cavalier Health but they are in Chicago and California. If we could just reach out to cities all over the US. It starts with one phone call.

You are right, and that one phone call only takes one person.

When I was the UK Cavalier Club health representative Carol Fowler, a pet owner who was campaigning to raise awareness of SM, was a considered a real nuisance, always asking awkward questions as to why we were not enforcing our health protocols.

Eventually, exasperated, I told her that neither the breed clubs or Kennel Club had any power to do the things she wanted, she would have to go much higher to get things changed.

"Right I will" said Carol & off she went to see her MP.

From that meeting came talks with important policy makers, the high profile CAWC workshop on syringomyelia in cavaliers, and an interview in the 'Pedigree Dogs Exposed' documentary which shook up the dog breeding world in the UK.

Carol is now an experienced and quite formidable political lobbyist.

There are many owners of SM dogs in the USA. You could be a formidable group too if you decided to work together?