EJCAP 26(4) Winter 2016

It is Christmas time, a wonderful time of the year. Sadly, many puppies – some from unscrupulous producers – will be thoughtlessly wrapped up as presents and put under the Christmas tree, while too many dogs will spend Christmas in a shelter longing for a caring owner.
Problems surrounding dog trade are currently a hot issue in Europe, and I am delighted to announce that last month, the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe and FECAVA unanimously adopted a position paper called ‘Working towards responsible dog trade in Europe - The position of the veterinary profession in Europe’.
But it’s not just about puppy trade and shelters – dog welfare is also affected by dog breeding. Unfortunately, no significant improvement has been made over the past decade when it comes to detrimental anatomical features in pedigree dogs, according to Nicola Rooney, speaking at the FECAVA symposium on Companion Animal Welfare in Vienna. She furthermore showed how exaggerated anatomical features may not only have a severe impact on health and welfare, but also on the dog’s behaviour (see her paper in this issue).
Although we still have a long way to go, I am confident together we as veterinarians can make a difference!
Enjoy this EJCAP!