Extreme breeding and how to tackle it was the topic of the lunch discussion held at the European Parliament in Brussels on 26 June.
During the discussion, it became clear that raising public awareness is key. Some suggested to find ways to make these animals less “fashionable”, e.g. by promoting normal dogs and by educating the public on what a healthy dog should look like. It was also suggested to adopt breed-specific instructions for show judges, to involve veterinarians and veterinary associations in setting healthy breed standards and to open up stud books to improve the gene pool.
