RSPCA Withdraws from Crufts Dog Show

Tue, 16 Sep 2008

The RSPCA has announced it is to withdraw from the Crufts dog show due to the ‘morally unjustifiable’ breeding practices condoned by the show. The charity had previously hosted a welfare stand at each year’s event, though due to the disability, deformity and disease caused by some of the breeding practices encouraged by the show, the RSPCA will no longer attend event. Mark Evans, chief veterinary adviser at the RSPCA, said, ‘There is compelling scientific evidence that the health and welfare of hundreds of thousands of pedigree dogs is seriously compromised as a result. From a dog health and welfare perspective, such shows are fundamentally flawed and do our much loved pedigree dogs no favours. Intentionally breeding deformed and disabled animals is morally unjustifiable and has to stop’.

The Kennel Club, who run Crufts, conceded that there were some problems with certain breeds, but maintained that most of the dogs in attendance at the show are in good health. The Club also reaffirmed the findings of its research – that 90 per cent of pedigree dogs wouldn’t suffer a reduced quality of life as a result of health problems. Meanwhile, Caroline Kisko, a spokesperson for the Kennel Club, said, ‘The fact thathe RSPCA continues to make such unhelpful statements with regard to the health of pedigree dogs is extremely regrettable’.

Link to this page

Copy and Paste the following HTML into your page.