Charity Offers Advice To Concerned Pet Owners At Crufts

04 Mar 2009 - 16:14

As thousands of people prepare to descend on Crufts on Thursday for the annual celebration of all things canine, The Blue Cross animal charity is gearing up to offer advice and support to dog lovers who are concerned about recent controversy surrounding the health of pedigree dogs.

A survey of more than 1,000 pet owners, conducted by The Blue Cross earlier this year revealed that 74% were concerned about the issue of inherited health defects in some dog breeds, but 38% felt powerless to do anything about it.

Furthermore, while 33% of pet owners thought they would be able to help reduce the problem if they knew more about it, 65% did not know where to find reliable information about the health and welfare of pedigree dogs.

In response to these findings, the charity has produced a guide to pedigree dog health, containing practical steps that every dog lover can take to help make a difference through making informed choices and supporting responsible breeding practices.

Kim Hamilton, Blue Cross chief executive, said: “While there is some very positive work going on at high-level to tackle the problem of inherited diseases in dogs, we mustn’t forget the millions of pet owners in this country who also have a powerful voice.

“The British public has voted with its feet on other animal welfare issues in the past and we believe that by making the right choices, every single pet owner can make a difference to the health of pedigree dogs.”

As one of the UK’s oldest animal charities with a network of animal adoption centres and hospitals, The Blue Cross sees the impact of irresponsible breeding practises on all species of companion animals and is well placed to offer trusted, independent advice to pet owners.

Information on choosing the right pet will be handed out at Crufts from the charity’s stand (84) in Hall 2. Visitors will also be able to benefit from a jargonbuster guide to some of the more confusing terms in pedigree dog health - as well as a list of the key attributes of the top ten most popular pedigree dog breeds.

Experienced Blue Cross staff will be on hand to offer advice on all aspects of pet ownership, and a selection of more than 70 free advice leaflets will be on display for visitors to take away.

Debbie Curtis, The Blue Cross head of communications added: “We know that three quarters of pet owners are concerned about inherited health defects in dogs, so we will be attending Crufts to provide as much information as possible so that every pet lover can help us achieve a brighter future for our pets.”

Further advice is available to download free from www.bluecross.org.uk/pedigree and www.allaboutpets.org.uk - the charity’s online community for pet lovers.