| New guidelines could make German shows unfeasible
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Issue: 15/11/2024
New animal welfare guidelines in Germany will mean that dog shows “are no longer feasible” and “would mean the end of breeding numerous popular dog breeds in Germany”, according to the German Kennel Club (VDH).
In 2022, the German government decided to enforce Section 10 of the Animal Protection Dog Ordinance (TierSchHuV), which prohibits the showing of dog breeds with hereditary health problems.
The Animal Welfare Working Group has issued guidelines around this section of this ordinance and the VDH has issued a statement responding to these guidelines.
According to these guidelines, exhibitors would have to take health certificates for their dogs before they can take part in the show. The VDH say, “the provision § 16 II TierSchG mentioned by you on page 8 of your guideline is not a suitable legal basis for the official request for health certificates from dogs that take part in events within the meaning of § 10 TierSchHuV.”
They add, “The guidelines do not correspond to the current state of veterinary science, but on the other hand they mean far-reaching bans, some of which affect complete dog breeds.”
“Regardless of the definition of the mutations mentioned as torture breeding characteristics, the question arises as to why this breed should be examined for the mutation as a prerequisite for participation in an event,” the VDH pointed out.
ZERO
“Many of the other characteristics on which studies are ordered do not occur or do not occur to a relevant extent in breeds for which these studies are intended, e.g. the characteristics of canine ceroid lipofuscinosis, hereditary cataracts or collie eye anomaly, in which not a single case of an affected animal is documented in the laboratory test for many of the breeds mentioned and the allele frequency of the relevant mutations is often in the range of fractions one per cent or completely zero.”
These guidelines could lead to bans on the Dachshund, Corgi, Beagle and Cocker Spaniel because these breeds have characteristics of Chondrodysplasia.
The VDH said, “The establishment of the trait brachycephaly (short-snouted), in the form of excluding all dogs whose ratio of snout to skull length (craniofacial ratio, CFR) is less than 1/3, not only means a more or less complete ban on the breeds French Bulldog, Boston Terrier and Pug, but also proves numerous representatives of dog breeds who are not affected by the effects of brachycephalic obstructive respiratory distress syndrome due to moderate short-snoutedness, with a ban.”
“As an example, the boxer should be mentioned here: Dogs of this breed must complete an endurance test in breeding clubs affiliated with the VDH before being bred, in which they must run 20 km on a bicycle at a speed of 12-15 km/h. So these dogs obviously don’t suffer from any breathing restrictions. This is also supported by recent research by the Cambridge working group.”
OUR DOGS has reported on the chaos created at German dog shows due to the veterinary requirements that have been imposed and the VDH believe that things will get worse due to these guidelines.
The government are currently planning to amend the Animal Welfare Act which will also be taking action against torture breeding. In its current form, the legislation would encompass many breeds. It is argued, that it will likely be unenforceable and have many unintended consequences as breeders and owners find ways to get around the legislation.
They say, “In addition to exhibitions in the actual sense, the regulations also affect the area of hobby dog sports particularly harshly.
NO EFFECT
“Starts in dog sports tournaments in the VDH member clubs now outnumber the number of participants in exhibitions by four times and have no effect on breeding decisions, but are simply a leisure activity for dogs and their owners extensive and costly requirements, which include various veterinary examinations and genetic tests, usually mean that these events are no longer feasible.
“Furthermore, the table in its current form, in which the characteristics mentioned are generally defined as a torture breeding characteristic, can also easily be used as a basis for breeding bans. This would mean the end of breeding numerous popular dog breeds in Germany.
“But it’s not just pedigree dogs that are supported by a large number of studies in the guidelines (as an example, the Labrador Retriever is mentioned here as the most popular dog breed in Germany, which is listed in the context of ten torture breeding characteristics), which is also a major hurdle for dog events regardless of the actual existence of the characteristics would be.”
The VDH want, “a revision of the guidelines in collaboration with qualified veterinary geneticists and experts from veterinary practice, e.g. the veterinary societies, whose statements can be found in the appendix. We are sure that this would be the best way to achieve a proportionate, scientifically based implementation of Section 10 TierSchHuV, from which the health of our dogs would actually benefit.
“As has already been offered in the past, the VDH, which probably has the greatest practical experience with the implementation of the exhibition ban in Section 10 TierSchHuV in Germany, is of course also available as the addressee of the regulation as a contact person.”
A petition has been launched to put pressure on the government to revise the guidelines - https://bit.ly/3AK6sXc.
