Dog health and welfareTHE DEMAND SIDE OF THE EQUATION

PHILIPPA ROBINSON MSc FRSA ASSOC CIPD

Dog breed health and welfare; my background

Who am I?

What am I?

Why I am here?

(2002 – 2006)

Dog Health and Welfare Controversies

Dog breed controversies: the context

2008 Pedigree Dogs Exposed

2010 Bateson Inquiry

2010 – 2015 Advisory Council on the welfare issues of dog breeding

More complex than that

Timeline 1854 - 2015

Milestones

Kennel Club

Founded 1873

1891 Crufts 1st Dog Show

1897 Stud books began to be closed

1965 Schemes with BVA for hip and eye screening launched

1987 KC, BVA, BSAVA and RSPCA working party on indiscriminate breeding

1987 KC working party looking at hereditary disease

2004 BSAVA Health survey

2014 EBVs launched for 15 breeds

Other agents

1824 RSPCA established

1844 RCVS receives royal charter

1882 BVA established

1891 NCDL (now Dogs Trust) established

1942 Vet Education Trust set up (now AHT)

1957 Meeting at BVA to discuss setting up BSAVA

“System” more complex than first realised; requires systems approachSystems thinking is a broad array of approaches to problem solving

that views “problems” as part of a wider dynamic system. Systems thinking involves more than a reaction to present outcomes or events. It demands a deeper understanding of linkages, relationships, interaction and behaviours among the elements that characterise the entire system.

‘Systems thinking for health systems strengthening’ edited by Don de Savigny and Taghreed Adam, World Health Organisation 2009.

Simplified system

The challenges of pedigree dog health: approaches to combating inherited diseaseLindsay L Farrell*, Jeffrey J Schoenebeck, Pamela Wiener, Dylan N Clements and Kim M Summers 2015

Why is Dime’s skull the shape it is?

Because the breed standard has dictated its shape?

Because show judges only award rosettes to dogs with that shape?

Because people like my brother buy dogs with skulls of that shape?

How controversial is the health and welfare of this breed?

Brachycephalic breeds

Dog-ED ltd ©2013

OWNERS Low Knowledge High Sense of Duty

High Knowledge High Sense of duty

Low Knowledge Low S of D

High Knowledge Low S of D

Breeding strategies

Veterinary advice

Flat faces present health problems

Breathing difficulties

Eye problems

Dental problems

Whelping problems Veterinary treatment

Veterinary income

Commission Research into health conditions

Concerns over health problems

Breed standards for flat-faced dogs

Advertisers/ organisations use them to sell products and services

Strategic approach of welfare organisations

Their incomes

Breeding Standard

Veterinary knowledge and expertise

The System that Builds Brachycephalic Dogs

Professional pride and self esteem

Actions to influence demand

Actions to influence supply

Achieve their charitable objectives

Veterinary reporting

Imported

Registered

Not registered

BREEDERS Low Volume High Welfare

High Volume High Welfare

Low Volume Low Welfare

High Volume Low welfare

Rescue

Competition to secure research funding

Research into prevalence and impact of health conditions

Fund research

Owner education

Veterinary education

Breeder education

Puppy contract

Research is published

KC Breed watch

People find flat-faced dogs adorable

Controversies surrounding brachycephalic breeds

French Bulldog Controversies cont’d

What has that done for breed popularity

2011

2012

2013

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000

French Bulldog KC Registrations 2011 - 13

Colour not recognised Total registered

14% CNR

7% CNR

2.5% CNR

2005: 324 French Bulldogs were registered2014: 9670

In London currently, 65% of illegally imported dogs recently seized by the authorities were brachycephalic breeds, of which 42% are Frenchies2004 – 2013 Brachycephalic breeds bulldogs, frenchies and

pugs increased in popularity fourfold

Breeds as brands

Social Media Brand Endorsement of the highest order

Robbie Savage

Hugh Jackman

Lewis Hamilton

Jonathan Ross

Jessie J

Victoria Beckham

Lady Gaga

1,500,000 twitter followers

1,600,000 Instagram followers

2,680,000 Twitter followers

4,650,000 Twitter followers

7,000,000 twitter followers

8,280,000 twitter followers

45,300.000 twitter followers and nearly 61,700,000 likes on Facebook

Celebrity Brand Culture: I want what Robbie has!

Robbie Savage’s Watch Robbie Savage’s Dog

Where can we intervene?

Dog-ED ltd ©2013

OWNERS Low Knowledge High Sense of Duty

High Knowledge High Sense of duty

Low Knowledge Low S of D

High Knowledge Low S of D

Breeding strategies

Veterinary advice

Flat faces present health problems

Breathing difficulties

Eye problems

Dental problems

Whelping problems Veterinary treatment

Veterinary income

Commission Research into health conditions

Concerns over health problems

Breed standards for flat-faced dogs

Advertisers/ organisations use them to sell products and services

Strategic approach of welfare organisations

Their incomes

Breeding Standard

Veterinary knowledge and expertise

The System that Builds Brachycephalic Dogs

Professional pride and self esteem

Actions to influence demand

Actions to influence supply

Achieve their charitable objectives

Veterinary reporting

Imported

Registered

Not registered

BREEDERS Low Volume High Welfare

High Volume High Welfare

Low Volume Low Welfare

High Volume Low welfare

Rescue

Competition to secure research funding

Research into prevalence and impact of health conditions

Fund research

Owner education

Veterinary education

Breeder education

Puppy contract

Research is published

KC Breed watch

People find flat-faced dogs adorable

How can we counter this cultural phenomenon?

Review the breed standards?

Introduce judicious health testing?

Remove untested dogs from the breeding programme?

Remove affected dogs from the breeding programme?

Remove untested dogs from dog showing?

Remove untested dogs from the KC system altogether?

Ensure that the public are armed with the facts?

Issue breeds with “health warnings” like cigarettes?

Securing change

MindsetContext

How can we counter this cultural phenomenon?

Change all mindsets

Change the entire context

Recognise the people make irrational choices because they are motivated by complex set of drivers – MINDSPACE

Address the “communicative abundance” - what conversations are we having with people? Where are we having them?

Too daunting?

Not if we adopt a few simple rules

Work together

1. Clarify what the health and welfare messages need to be for each breed/ type, based on evidence and good data

2. Really understand the dynamics of the system that supplies dogs and puppies – again mindful of breed/type

3. Really understand the human behaviour that determines our dog buying/ acquiring decisions

4. Simplify the key messages derived from numbers 1 and 2 to help us shape number 3

5. Deliver those key messages consistently across the board – messages to be delivered by ALL parts of the system

We are all on that timeline

How can we contribute?

How can you contribute?How will time judge our

“actions”?As individuals and as

organisations