As you are reading this issue of the FCI Newsletter, the summer dog-show season is at its peak. The biggest event - a feast for all eager exhibitors – of this year was the FCI World Dog Show 2012 in Salzburg, Austria.
I would like to congratulate the Austrian kennel Club (ÖKV) and everybody who contributed to this outstanding canine event.

This issue contains a report and evaluation of this show. I would like to point out that unfortunately, abandoned dogs in closed vehicles at shows are a remaining issue. The speakers continually encouraged people to come to their vehicles and take their dogs out, even announcing particular license plate numbers of these vehicles, asking the owners to release their dogs immediately from the heat. Despite the joint effort of the police and paramedics, there was one dog who, sadly, didn‘t make it.Unfortunately, this has been a recurring scenario, even at the most prestigous shows. I am asking everybody to keep an eye on this problem and to look for ways to deal with it. Dogs hardly deserve to be treated like that.

Read more

Stefan Stefik
FCI Treasurer
FCI explores an ambitious project

The FCI created a 2012 Working Group which met May 1st in Brussels. The need for such a group arose in response to the many issues facing the purebred dog world including, e.g. heightened public and media attention to dog showing and breeding. There are, of course, valid concerns for the health and welfare of dogs, but there has occasionally been misinformation and emotional debate rather than rational and balanced discussion. Is there a role for kennel clubs, in general, to be more proactive in increasing the awareness of the positive aspects of the purebred dog world and in highlighting the many activities of FCI members which are focused on maintaining and improving the health and well-being of dogs worldwide?

Across the FCI membership there is a wealth of knowledge, experience and resources that could be shared to the benefit of all. Outside of FCI, there are other active cynological organisations, also struggling to address similar issues, who have resources, information and expertise. How can we access information and resources to support efficient and effective evaluation of issues and development of actions? How can kennel clubs and the dog world unite, for the good of dogs and people worldwide?

Having all this in mind, the FCI General Committee asked Dr. Brenda Bonnett to attend their meeting April 12th 2012, in Vienna. She is project leader for an initiative that the General Committee thought would be relevant, and an overview of her presentation follows.

Yves De Clercq
FCI Executive Director

An Information Network to Support Canine Health, Well-being and Welfare (working title: Sharing and Caring for Dogs)
Submitted by Brenda Bonnett, BSc, DVM, PhD

Dr. Bonnett is a veterinarian and epidemiologist, former Associate Professor, with tenure at the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph, in Canada and recognised international expert on health issues in dogs and Human-Animal Interactions. She has collaborated for many years in Sweden.

The Swedish Kennel Club (SKK) and Agria Animal Insurance in Sweden have an ongoing partnership and have supported many research efforts. Together they have amassed breed-specific statistics on health and diseases in dogs that are among the most extensive in the world (Agria Dog Breed-Profiles, http://www.agria.se/agria/artikel/agria-dog-breed-profiles-1). In addition to many publications in scientific journals, these have been incorporated into, for example, Breed-Specific Instructions for Judges and Breed-Specific Breeding Strategies developed by Swedish breed clubs and used extensively in education programmes. Building on this partnership, in the fall of 2011 the Agria-SKK Research Foundation funded a pilot project to develop a model for an internet-based information network to support canine health, well-being and welfare (tentatively titled Sharing and Caring for Dogs). The general structure of the platform is shown in Figure 1 (see below).

Initiatives are underway in many countries by governmental and regulatory bodies, national and international kennel clubs, researchers, breed clubs and welfare organisations to address health issues in dogs. Concerns are similar globally although specific priorities may vary. The most effective and efficient way forward will be through cooperation and collaboration to reduce repetition of efforts and to maximise outcomes. The aim of this initiative is to build an internet platform to enhance the production and dissemination of knowledge on health issues in dogs. One of the goals of the pilot project is to find and engage other stakeholders as potential partners in development of the platform. With this effort we can capitalise on existing strengths, experience and expertise; improve effective and efficient access to information; and demonstrate international commitment to the health and well-being of dogs.

As seen in Figure 1, the resource will be based on a foundation of stakeholders that share a need for improved access to the information necessary to enhance the over-arching goals of canine health, well-being and welfare. In addition, partners in the initiative must be willing to share resources and embody the values of cooperation and collaboration.

The internet resource will be structured around three pillars (with examples of content):

Information Generation (knowledge base):

  • Agria Dog Breed Profiles and Updates
  • Data / statistics from other countries
  • Genetics / breeding data
  • Sharing of breed club survey design /analysis

Information Dissemination:

  • Clearing house for information / documents on activities and initiatives
  • Government reviews of / reports on health and welfare or breeding issues
  • Educational presentations / webinars
  • Press kits / public relations material
  • Breed-specific strategies for breeding / judging

Information Evaluation:

  • Evidence-based expert appraisal, with an aim to promote informed and balanced decision-making, of, for example:
    • government documents;
    • media reports;
    • breeding recommendations (including genetic tests).

Material in the network will be organised along themes and levels to appeal to and be appropriate for various users, including, e.g. kennel and breed clubs, breeders, current and prospective dog owners, researchers and veterinarians. We will build on working relationships with other stakeholders in the dog world, and provide efficient access to already existing resources. In this way we can identify gaps in available information and work to fill them.

The Way Forward

  • Engage partners
  • Develop a business model and business plan
  • Address funding and technical issues
  • Build a sustainable resource to facilitate sharing of information, experience and expertise

This initiative was discussed at the FCI/NCO Joint Communication Forum meeting in Salzburg (May 2012).

The platform has also been presented for information at the 6th International Conference on Advances in Canine and Feline Genomics and Inherited Diseases (May 28-June 1st) and discussed at the Dog Health Workshop in Sweden (June 2nd and 3rd). Through work such as this, it is hoped that many stakeholders in canine health, well-being and welfare will come together for the benefit of dogs, worldwide.