New Dog Breeding Welfare Chairman
Professor Sheila Crispin
The creation of this new non-statutory Council was a key recommendation of all three recent reports on the genetic, conformation and other threats to dog welfare, such as puppy farming, which can arise from dog breeding. With the appointment of its first Chairman, a key step has been made towards addressing these issues.
Accepting the appointment, Professor Crispin said: “I am very honoured to have been selected from what I am aware was a very competitive field of candidates and I am thrilled to have this opportunity to contribute to a step change in the quality of life enjoyed by dogs of all sorts in this country. However, I am under no illusions about the scale of the challenge facing us. From the poor welfare of breeding bitches on puppy farms to the well documented issues of damaging conformation and genetic disease, we have a lot of problems to address.
My next and most important tasks include the selection of the members of the Council and the development of a strategy prioritising our work over the short and medium term.
I would like to call on those who have a professional, personal or business interest in dogs to support the Council. That we have got this far is due to the commitment and generosity of a few key dog and animal welfare organisations and to their willingness to work together for the good of dogs. We will be looking for further support to help us in the task ahead.”
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
