Dog breeding
- Centre for Animal Welfare, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hertfordshire AL9 7TA
- e-mail: smcculloch{at}rvc.ac.uk
STEVE Dean, chairman of the Kennel Club (KC), suggests, on the basis of reports of a debate at the BVA Congress, that the Advisory Council on the Welfare Issues of Dog Breeding and elements of the veterinary profession have ‘no clear understanding of the way dogs are bred, sold and owned in the UK’ (VR, October 22, 2011, vol 169, p 448). This seems unlikely – the advisory council is constituted of experts on dog breeding, and the small animal veterinary profession works daily with the dog population. Does Mr Dean really mean this, and is his accusation credible?
He states that there are only 2.5 million dogs (of a total of eight million) registered with the KC, and only 2 …
