Fairdog Foundation, Affiliated with Utrecht University, Aims to Establish Quality Mark for Ethically Bred Dogs
The Royal Dutch Society for Veterinary Medicine (KNMvD), the Royal Dutch Kennel Club “Cynophilia” and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University are joining forces to improve the welfare and health of dogs and encourage responsible breeding. They are setting up a foundation to, among other things, create an independent quality mark for healthy and socially bred dogs.
Some 1.2 million households in the Netherlands have a dog, accounting for 1.5 million dogs. After the cat, the dog is the most widely kept pet. An estimated 150,000 dogs are in demand every year. But where should you go if you are looking for a healthy and social dog? At a breed association, the animal shelter, a trader?
In the future, every dog should be a healthy dog, which does not suffer from its appearance. That is why we support Fairdog, to help and protect dogs and owners.
Nanning Mol
Chairman of the Royal Dutch Kennel Club “Cynophilia”
Consumers naturally want to avoid the prospective dog coming from rogue trade, having health or behavioural problems or carrying diseases. Unfortunately, hereditary diseases and harmful external characteristics are common. This seriously affects the welfare of pet animals. In terms of volume, these conditions make up more than 50% of the patients at the vet.
Veterinarians often see the suffering of hereditary diseases and harmful external features in their practice. Of course, we would much rather prevent this than treat it. That’s what we’re aiming for with Fairdog.
Paul Mandigers
Cluster Chair Companion Animals of the Royal Dutch Society for Veterinary Medicine (KNMvD)
According to the KNMvD, kennel club “Cynophilia” and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, careful and veterinarian-based selection of breeding animals is the key to addressing these issues and the time is ripe to really start putting this into practice in the Netherlands now. This is why Fairdog foundation has been set up. It is a non-profit organisation that aims to become an independent authority on breeding healthy dogs. The foundation will do this, among other things, by stimulating research, providing information, and introducing a quality mark. The aim is to collectively offer a platform to consumers, breeders, and institutions alike, where healthy and social dogs are offered, bred in a responsible, sustainable and animal-friendly way.
The Fairdog Foundation gives our faculty the opportunity to ensure that our expertise and tools are widely applied for the benefit of healthy animals. Take the criteria for brachycephalic dogs. Or take the example of the Dutch Kooikerhondje, where great strides have been made to eliminate disease in this breed through the FIT2Breed programme. That kind of progress is only possible through cooperation.
Debbie Jaarsma
Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine