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6Sciencegroupreviewof2012www.rspca.org.uksciencegroupcompanionanimalsAndrewLinscottJoeMurphyx2PhilipToscanoRSPCAPhotolibraryModellicenceconditionsThroughout2012wehavecontinuedworkingwithotherwelfareorganisationslocalauthoritiesandrelevantindustrybodiestoreviewmodellicenceconditionsforprivateboardingestablishmentsforcats.ThecurrentlicenceconditionguidelinesarebasedonTheAnimalBoardingEstablishmentsAct1963butwiththeintroductionoftheAnimalWelfareActAWA2006theseguidelineshavebecomeoutdated.TheworkinggroupisreviewingtheconditionstoensurethattheyareinlinewiththeAWAandcontainalloftheinformationneededtoensurethewelfareofcatsboardedattheseestablishments.In2012asimilarreviewofthemodellicenceconditionsfordogbreedingestablishmentsbegantoensurethatthewelfareneedsofalldogsatbreedingestablishmentsaremet.Workonthiswillcontinuein2013.PuppypowerThecompanionanimalsdepartmenthasbeenworkingwiththeBritishVeterinaryAssociationAnimalWelfareFoundationBVAAWFtodevelopapuppysalescontractandpuppyinformationpackPIPwhichwerelaunchedinApril2012.ThecontractandPIPempowerpuppybuyerstomakeproperlyinformeddecisionswhenbuyingapuppyandhelpthemavoidtheproblemsthatcanarisefrombuyingapuppyfromanirresponsiblebreeder.Puppybuyerscanusetheinformationprovidedbythebreederorsellertomakeadecisiononwhethertheywanttobuythepuppytheyhaveseen.Forbreedersandsellersthecontractisarecordofthethoughtandattentiontheyhavedevotedtotheirpuppiesbreedingandcare.ThePIPcontainsimportantinformationaboutthepuppyandhisherparentsandistiedintothecontractwhichcontainsawarrantyfromthesellerthattheinformationinthePIPistrueandcomplete.AccompanyingguidancenotesexplaintherelevanceoftheinformationinthePIPtothewelfareofthepuppy.Thecontractcanbeusedforallpuppieswhethertheyarepedigreeornotandbyanybreederorseller.ThepuppycontractandPIPareendorsedbymanykeyanimalwelfareorganisationsandcanbedownloadedfromwww.puppycontract.org.ukPedigreedogsThroughout2012theRSPCAcompanionanimalsdepartmenthasbeencontinuingimportantworkonthewelfareissuesassociatedwithpedigreedogbreeding.ThreemajorreportsondogbreedinghavebeenpublishedintheUK1inthelastthreeyearsincludinganindependentscientificreportcommissionedbythecompanionanimalsdepartment.Eachofthereportsconcludedthatthewelfareissuesassociatedwithpedigreedogbreedingareveryseriousandthaturgentactionisneededtoimproveandprotectthewelfareofpedigreedogs.Eachreportalsoincludedaseriesofrecommendationsforpossiblewaysforwardthesehaveinformedthedepartmentsactivitiesonthissignificantanimalwelfareissueoverthelastthreeyears.Allthreereportsondogbreedingidentifiedanurgentneedforthesystematiccollectionofdataontheoccurrenceofinheriteddiseasesfromfirst-opinionveterinarypractices.Consequentlythroughout2012thecompanionanimalsdepartmenthavecontinuedtofundaVetCompassPhDresearchprojectwiththeRoyalVeterinaryCollegeandtheUniversityofSydney.ItisnotjustdogsthatareaffectedbywelfareissuesfromselectivebreedingsothePhDstudyaimstoestimatetheprevalenceofinheritedandacquireddisordersinbothdogsandcatstohighlightbreedsatgreatestriskofspecificconditions.WorkontheVetCompassprojectstartedinOctober2010andbytheendof2012VetCompassheldclinicaldataonover184000catsand232000dogs.MoreinformationisavailableontheVetCompassprojectwebsiteathttpwww.rvc.ac.ukVetCOMPASSBorntosufferTheRSPCAsBredforlooksborntosuffercampaignwaslaunchedinDecember2011andseeksanendtothebreedingofdogsbasedonappearance.Theonlinepetitioncallsforbreedstandardstobechangedsothattheyprioritisethehealthwelfareandtemperamentofadogoveritslooks.Attheendof2012thepetitionhadover20000signaturesindicatingthisisanissuethatthepublicalsofeelverystronglyabout.Moreinformationisavailableonthecampaignwebsitewww.rspca.org.ukborntosuffer1.PedigreeDogBreedingintheUKAMajorWelfareConcerncommissionedbytheRSPCAisavailableatwww.rspca.org.ukpedigreedogsAHealthierFutureforPedigreeDogsbytheAssociateParliamentaryGroupforAnimalWelfareAPGAWisavailableatwww.apgaw.orgreports-and-publicationsTheIndependentInquiryIntoDogBreedingcommissionedbytheKennelClubandtheDogsTrustisavailableatwww.dogbreedinginquiry.com