We believe that the health and welfare of animals should come before the desire to own an animal with a specific and extreme feature or look. Neither should the breeder and his/ her leisure activity be used as an excuse. Today’s breeding practices cause serious health problems for the animals affected and we find it hard to understand how the statutory intrinsic value of the animal can be disregarded when breeding pedigree dogs.

“Our dogs deserve to be bred with a slightly different look, but with much better health. You do not become less fond of a dog just because it looks a little different. The dog’s welfare must always outweigh the appearance”,  The Norwegian Society for Protection of Animals.

It is widely known among professionals that breeding must be based on science and the registration of the animals’ characteristics and function. This requires access to comprehensive data on both health, function and inbreeding. These data are already available in Norway through different databases and there is no reason why we should not use them to improve breeding. It is time to recognise how pedigree breeding can benefit from the advances made in computer technology and genetics.