Norway's Supreme Court has upheld the order of the Court of Appeal, which ruled that it is contrary to Section 25 of the Norwegian Animal Welfare Act to breed the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

For the English Bulldog, the judgment requires health screenings for the breeding dogs. The requirements are identical to those of the Norwegian Kennel Club (NKK) today, so for the organized breeding of the English Bulldog, the verdict has no new consequences.

"This is a recognition of the work NKK has done over a long period of time with health surveys and managed breeding to reduce the risk of disease and suffering. The judgment confirms that we can continue to breed the English Bulldog within the framework we do today. It is about knowledge-based, responsible and organised breeding, where we constantly work for healthier dogs," says chairman of NKK's Executive Board, Nils-Erik Haagenrud.

Haagenrud says that NKK must now thoroughly study the verdict regarding Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and discuss with the Norwegian Food Safety Authority how it should be interpreted, also how to find out whether the dogs can be used in a crossbreeding project that is already planned. It is also important to emphasize that it is not prohibited to own or import Cavaliers.

Read more here: English Bulldogs can still be bred

The Norsk Kennel Klub (Norwegian Kennel Club) is a Contributing Partner of the International Partnership for Dogs (IPFD).