Our Dogs Newspaper: IPFD and our Call for Collective Actions for Dog Health and Welfare

Our Dogs Newsletter is a respected and highly subscribed information source, especially for the dog show community, in the UK and around the world.  Our Dogs is a subscription-only site, however, articles can be purchased.

We are pleased and grateful that they have not only shared our Reframing Current Challenges Around Pedigree Dogs A Call for Respectful Dialogue, Collaboration, and Collective Actions document, but they have also published an editorial as well as an article by David Cavill in their 16 October 2020 Issue. 

A few excerpts follow.

Authors of editorials and articles in Our Dogs have also been calling on the dog show world to participate actively in discussions and actions for dog health and welfare.  In his piece, David Cavill re-iterates IPFD's statements on the need for collective actions from all stakeholder groups:

"It is refreshing too, that for once a report is not simply a demand for further legislation: it is much more sensible in that it asks that we consider the psychology of pet ownership, our personal commitments and attitudes to all pets and ‘work together for what is truly in the best interest of dogs and the people who care for them’.
Brenda also recognises that there are no quick and easy solutions but that what is needed is a roadmap to engage everyone involved. She concludes that those ‘deeply committed to ensuring the survival of all that is good about pedigree dogs need to participate in open and respectful dialogue to identify actions for the benefit of all dogs and people. Each of us should honestly consider how our own attitudes and actions – or inaction – have contributed to the current situation and then together find a positive way forward'."

IPFD is working towards a 'roadmap' for next steps and welcomes comments and contributions as to what tools and resources would best support actions.  We have a start in our article Think Globally, Act Locally - Promoting Open Dialogue and Collective Actions, and this will be a dynamic process.

In the Our Dogs Opinion piece, the author mentions previous material they have posted on the extremes of opinions in the dog world, and how that polarity does not help to foster collaborative and collective actions. 

We recently wrote in this column:
“At one end the extreme traditionalists seem to take a hard line which tells the rest of the world to ‘keep their hands off our precious breeds’ and to‘mind their own business’. At the extreme margins of this group are those who appear not to recognise that there is any problem at all in the various short faced breeds concerned. This is probably an untenable position."
“Diametrically opposed to this group are those that think that concessions should be made and breed standards adapted to meet the demands of the fanatical animal rights people. They think that only by making dramatic changes to breed standards and substantially changing their appearance, will the banning of those breeds be able to be prevented."
“The middle ground is surely where the sensible proponents of the brachycephalic breeds ought to be.”
"The main thrust of Dr Bonnett’s essay is that “Rigid attachment to the status quo of the show world or denial
of pressing issues in specific breeds will not protect pedigree dogs.”
 

In saying they "wholeheartedly endorse" the IPFD Call to Action, Our Dogs is helping to foster collaboration and to motivate those concerned with a sustainable future for health pedigree dogs. Here's to engaging all those 'in the middle'!