"Altered public demand will encourage the breeding practices that produce healthier pets and, over time, create real change" - Dr Jerold Bell.

WSAVA responds to Norway's ban on breeding English bulldogs.

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) has called for a greater focus on health screening to improve the welfare of brachycephalic pets.

In a new position paper, the Association calls for more education to encourage the public to get veterinary documentation of pre-breeding health screening results before buying a new puppy or kitten. It adds that the selection of breeding dogs and cats ‘should avoid extreme conformation that predisposes to disease and poor welfare’. 

The move comes in response to a recent court ruling in Norway banning the breeding of English bulldogs and cavalier King Charles spaniels. WSAVA says that it shares the concerns and supports the efforts of Animal Protection Norway and the Norwegian Animal Welfare Act, which states that: ‘Breeding should promote traits that provide robust animals with good function and health.’

WSAVA’s response to the Court ruling has been led by its Hereditary Disease Committee (HDC), which includes world-leading veterinary geneticists, supported by the WSAVA’s Animal Wellness and Welfare Committee (AWWC). 

Chair of the HDC, Dr Jerold Bell, commented: “We recognize the serious welfare issues that exist in relation to brachycephaly, as well as other extreme anatomy and hereditary diseases in dogs and all purposefully-bred animals. We believe that health-focused breeding and husbandry practices are the means to improve the health and welfare of these animals. This is effectively ‘health quality control.’

“The public’s affection for these popular breeds demands a greater focus on education around healthy breeding and welfare because altered public demand will encourage the breeding practices that produce healthier pets and, over time, create real change.” 

He added: “The WSAVA HDC and AWWC are already working on a number of educational initiatives for rollout later this year, and we are keen to engage with other veterinary stakeholders on this issue to increase momentum and the pace of change.”