This week, saw the start of the Club’s National Canine Health Testing Week to raise awareness of the importance of buying puppies from health-tested parents.
At the same time, over 21,000, including a host of celebrities, are supporting an online petition asking the Club to introduce mandatory testing for the two most serious conditions: a heart disease called MVD and SM, a neurological disorder caused by dogs being bred with skulls too small to accommodate the brain.
The KC has invited dog owners to post canine selfies on social media under the hashtag #NCHTW in support of health testing but has found its Facebook and Twitter accounts filled with images asking why health testing isn’t compulsory for Cavaliers: a breed so badly affected by genetic problems.
The Cavalier health crisis was revealed in the 2008 documentary Pedigree Dogs Exposed, which showed top show Cavaliers with inherited disease being used for breeding against veterinary advice. The BBC later ditched its coverage of Crufts, the KC’s most prestigious event, because of the outcry.
“The Cavalier is in serious trouble and the Kennel Club needs to do much more. Mandatory testing for both these conditions is the bare minimum,” says Jemima Harrison, the documentary’s director.
Cavalier lovers, including Revel Horwood and his partner Damon Scott, TV presenter Lisa Riley, Made In Chelsea star Binky Felstead, Dr Dawn Harper from This Morning, magician Paul Daniels, dancer Robin Windsor, Pixie Lott, Deborah Meaden, Linda Robson, Fern Britton, Michele Collins, Annabel Giles and Mark Evans, the TV vet, are among over 21,000 backing the petition.
The Kennel Club has this week responded by saying that: “The health test is not a legal requirement for Cavalier breeders and registration with the Kennel Club is only voluntary, so making the test mandatory will simply drive breeders away from the Kennel Club, meaning that we have fewer health test results and less information about the condition.
“Instead, we need to take time to understand breeders’ concerns about the test and support and incentivise them to use it. Because the test does not produce definitive results about whether puppies will be affected by the condition and because of the cost and risks associated with the test, we believe collaboration with breeders who are passionate about improving breed health will be much more effective than making the test a mandatory requirement for Kennel Club registration.”
The spokesperson added: “The Kennel Club and the BVA would like to find out why breeders are or are not screening their breeding dogs. It is hoped that this data can be used as a basis for a workshop which breed club representatives and breeders will be asked to attend in order to discuss how to resolve the problem as a matter of absolute urgency.”
Yet figures released days ago from Denmark reveal its compulsory heart scheme for Cavaliers saw a 73 per cent reduction in MVD, and campaigners are asking why the Kennel Club does not “even have an optional heart scheme for Cavaliers despite promising one over seven years ago.”
TV vet Emma Milne comments: “The UK is way behind much of Europe where countries have seen dramatic improvements in disease prevalence through robust testing. When will the KC stop seeing pound signs and starting seeing sense?”
Even human sufferers of SM have been posting selfies in support of Cavaliers. Lynn Burton has had two major brain surgeries. “As a human, I can tell you about the constant pain, tingling and numbness. Some days it is so excruciating I feel like my head is ripping apart,” she says. “Cavaliers can’t speak. To allow puppies to be born without doing everything possible to reduce the chances of them suffering like this is inexcusable.”
Owners of sick Cavaliers have also rallied behind the campaign. One such is Donna Farrand. Her four-year-old Cavalier, Freddie, is undergoing cranial decompression surgery today in an attempt to reduce his SM pain. “While the KC messes around with meaningless soundbites, Freddie is having part of his skull removed.”
Barry Richardson’s Cavalier, Archie, lost his battle with SM aged three: “Words cannot describe my anger at how trivially the KC treats this issue. It’s saying #itshiptobehealthy; this should be the norm. It needs to ditch the gimmicks and do the right thing.”
According to long-time owner Nicki Hughes, all kinds of breeders are guilty of not health testing properly: “The KC and breed clubs would like people to think it’s just backyard breeders and puppy farmers. I lost my beloved Teddy at six. He had MVD and SM. His breeder? An international judge.”
Here are some comments from celebrity dog lovers backing the petition:
“Please can I ask you to sign and retweet this petition to save dogs’ lives”, Pixie Lott has urged her Twitter followers.
“We need to make sure all Cavaliers are health tested before breeding,” believes Craig Revel Horwood, who has a Cavalier called Sophie with hereditary heart disease.
“We should be breeding for health, not creating problems for our loved pets,” says Deborah Meadon, who has been a staunch supporter of the Cavalier health campaign.
View the petition at https://www.change.org/p/the-uk-kennel-club-stop-registerin-g-cavalier-king-charles-spaniel-puppies-unless-their-parents-are-mri-scanned-and-heart-tested
Follow the campaign on Twitter @healthycavalier and on the Cavaliers Are Special Facebook page.
It is so heartbreaking to see and hear so many of these sweet cavaliers being sick from these illnesses.. So far my Gabby hasn’t shown any of these, I cringe every day when I read pretty much daily of another sad story.. It hurts, so please breeders need to test these dogs and stop the pain and suffering.
Hi Linda, We couldn’t agree more, but campaigns like this are helping. Hoping Gabby will stay well x