PRESS RELEASE – International Dog Health Workshop
The 2nd International Dog Health Workshop took place over the weekend of 14/15 February, organised by the VDH in partnership with the International Partnership for Dogs (IPFD), in Dortmund.
Over 125 delegates from 18 countries attended the two day event formally known as the International Workshop on the Enhancement of Genetic Health in Pedigree Dogs.
The event followed on from the 1st International Dog Health Workshop which took place in Stockholm in June 2012.
The programme was divided over the two days. Saturday saw a series of presentations covering four key areas of dog health: Selection for Behavioural Traits, Breed Specific Health Strategies, Genetic Testing and Dogs in Motion. The delegates then separated into workshop groups to discuss work taking place around the world before reconvening to share their findings at the end of the day.
Sunday was dedicated to the launch of DogWellNet.com, the website put together by the recently formed IPFD. A range of speakers addressed the many benefits of the website to scientists, researchers, the welfare sector and dog breeders and owners in general. The DogWellNet.com website will be ‘open for business’ from Monday 16th February 2015 at www.dogwellnet.com.
Background note:
The International Partnership for Dogs was founded in August 2014 with the aim of facilitating and sharing resources to enhance the health, well-being and welfare of pedigreed dogs and all dogs worldwide. The Board comprises Pekka Olson (Chair, Sweden), Caroline Kisko (Vice Chair, UK), Eddie Dziuk (USA), Peter Friedrich (Germany), Jean-Pierre Genevois (France), Patricia Olson (USA), and Kirsi Sainio (Finland). Brenda Bonnett (Canada) is the Chief Executive Officer and Ulf Uddman (Sweden) is the Chief Financial Officer. Several national kennel clubs (Sweden, UK, Finland, Germany, France and Norway) as well as the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (USA), the Agria Pet Insurance-SKK Fund(Sweden) and the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) have made formal commitments to move this work forward. Another collaborator is Vet Compass, an initiative of the Royal Veterinary College in the UK. Discussions with other potential partners are ongoing.
Further Details and Links
With the goal of providing an opportunity to exchange experiences and views on the enhancement of canine genetic health, the 2nd International Workshop on Enhancement of Genetic Health in Pedigree Dogs, or International Dog Health Workshop (IDHW), was hosted by the German Kennel Club in Dortmund, Germany, on February 14 & 15, 2015.
Building off the success of the first IDHW, which was hosted by the Swedish Kennel Club in Stockholm in 2012, the 2nd International Workshop on Enhancement of Genetic Health in Pedigree Dogs brought together professionals who share a responsibility for dog health, and provide an international forum for idea sharing and collaboration.
The IDHW featured an impressive roster of international speakers who touched on various topics, including behavior, breed-specific health strategies, genetic testing, and dogs in motion. More than 125 participants from at least than 18 countries attended the Workshop, representing veterinarians, geneticists, and epidemiologists, as well as show judges, breeders, and representatives from various breed and kennel clubs.
One key need that was identified at the 1st IDHW was a platform to support international collaboration. That need will be met through the newly formed International Partnership for Dogs (IPFD) and DogWellNet.com, which was officially launched on Sunday, February 15, by Dr. Brenda Bonnett, CEO of IPFD.
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