Category: Campaigning
New Report Raises Serious Questions About the IHA
This week’s Our Dogs announces the launch of a major new evaluation of the Innate Health Assessment. Today, the full report is published. It raises serious questions about whether the IHA is evidence based, proportionate, or fit for purpose. A Detailed, Evidence Based Evaluation This report has been developed on behalf of the Union of Good Dog…
The author of our new report tells us why this matters to her
Guest Blog | The Union of Good Dog People The debate around the Innate Health Assessment (IHA) is intensifying.Supporters present it as a simple, necessary step forward for welfare. Others have serious concerns about its design, evidence base and real world impact. Researcher and campaigner Julia Carr sets out, in detail, why she believes the IHA must…
Watch this space!
Something is coming. Be ready… There is a direction of travel emerging in academic and policy circles that should concern everyone who loves dogs. A future where diversity is quietly replaced with uniformity.Where difference is seen as the problem.Where the end point is not better dogs, but fewer types of dogs. You may have seen…
“No thanks. We don’t want generic brown dogs.”
A new claim doing the rounds, amplified by the Daily Mail, suggests that if left to their own devices, dogs would eventually “merge” into one bland, medium-sized, brown, wolf-like type within a few years. The implication is clear.Breed diversity is artificial.Difference is the problem.Uniformity is the solution. We couldn’t disagree more. This isn’t evolution. It’s erasure.…
The power of yes. And why the dog world keeps getting this wrong
A recent editorial in Vet Record by Suzanne Jarvis quietly lands a point the dog world urgently needs to hear. It should not be controversial. But it is. Because it exposes why so many well-intentioned policies, campaigns and “solutions” are failing dogs. At its heart is a simple truth: “Carrots tend to give better results than sticks.” And yet,…
The system is breaking. And it won’t be fixed in rescue.
A major new study from the University of Bristol has confirmed what many of us working in dogs have been seeing with our own eyes. More dogs are entering the system.More dogs are staying longer.And more dogs are dying as a result. Between 2021 and 2023, the number of dogs entering local authority shelters rose from 16,310…
A Shaggy Dog Story?
Old English Sheepdogs, Paint Adverts, Walt Disney and the Beatles By Paul Keevil Paul Keevil is one of the best-known champions of the Dandie Dinmont Terrier, a devoted owner, breeder and exhibitor who has spent decades helping to keep his much-loved vulnerable native breed in the public eye. A familiar and much-admired figure in the…
Pet Theft Awareness Week
Pet Theft Awareness Week shines a light on a devastating crime: the theft of beloved pets. The Union of Good Dog People is proud to support Pet Theft Awareness Week and to stand alongside the many organisations and families campaigning for stronger protection for dogs. Why dogs are stolen Some dogs are taken for breeding. These dogs…
Last call for National Treasures…
We are working to recognise Britain’s dog breeding traditions as part of our living heritage. The response so far has been incredible. Some breed communities have really stepped up. Huge congratulations to the Shetland Sheepdog and Cardigan Welsh Corgi communities. Your response has been amazing. 👏 But we urgently need more support from owners, breeders and enthusiasts in the…
Daily Express delivers
One very sad thing in the double page spread Express piece today is that it shows how much confusion there still is about what the Innate Health Assessment actually does. The gentleman who supports the IHA speaks movingly about losing his Cavalier to syringomyelia and heart disease. Anyone who loves Cavaliers knows how heartbreaking those…
Why do people love to hate dog breeders?
Hatred of breeders runs very deep, doesn’t it? Unlike racism or other forms of discrimination, it is often treated as a kind of public service. Crufts tends to bring it all bubbling to the surface each year, and the anger ramps up again. This has been a particularly polarising year. But I stand firm in…
Circular Logic & the IHA
You know what’s interesting? If we calmly point out that the Innate Health Assessment (IHA) may be too blunt a tool and should have been sanity-tested on healthy dogs as well as obviously exaggerated ones — just to make sure it doesn’t produce false fails — we’re immediately accused of all sorts of things. Apparently we’re using “media privilege” to unfairly defend small…
The Union makes national headlines
Something remarkable is happening.In just a few short weeks, the Union of Good Dog People has moved from a grassroots idea to a national conversation. What began as a simple mission – to stand up for responsible, small-scale breeders and the future of Britain’s native dog breeds – is now reaching audiences across the country. This week…
British Native Dog Breeds Move Closer to “National Treasure” Status
Expression of Interest approved – now breed clubs and owners are being asked to help secure official recognition Fantastic news for everyone who cares about the future of pedigree and native dog breeds in the United Kingdom.The Expression of Interest submitted by the Union of Good Dog People to recognise the traditional breeding and stewardship of British native dog…
Britain’s Dogs Are National Treasures
And they urgently need our protection! Britain has 60 native dog breeds. Today, two-thirds face an uncertain future. Britain gave the world so many gifts: Parliamentary democracy. The rule of law. The steam engine. The railway. The World Wide Web. Shakespeare. Darwin. The Beatles. Ideas that reshaped civilisation. Inventions that changed how humanity lives. Cultural…
The £1,000 myth
🔍 MYTH-BUSTER: The £1,000 Rule We keep seeing this repeated in breeder groups, so let’s be crystal clear… ❌ MYTH“If I earn under £1,000 from puppies, I don’t need a breeding licence.” ✅ FACTThere is NO £1,000 threshold in dog breeding licence law in England. Not in the 2018 Regulations.Not in DEFRA guidance.Not in licensing rules. 💷…
Use your voice, because dogs can’t speak!
How to Write to Your MP (And Actually Be Heard) If you want to make the dog world a better place, here is a clear, practical guide to contacting your MP effectively. 🔵 “Find Your MP Now”https://www.writetothem.com Why Writing Works One letter = correspondenceFifty letters = concernTwo hundred letters = a political issue Calm, reasoned…
