The Royal Canine Society of Spain (RSCE), the oldest national association related to the world of dogs, has met with the general director of Animal Rights, José Ramón Becerra, belonging to the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030, to address different aspects related to the Animal Welfare Law, such as allowing more than two litters to specialised breeders ad extending very defined health tests or consanguinity tests to all types of breeding: not only specialised – as provided for by law – but also occasional.
The Government has presented a draft with very relevant aspects for the development of the initial text of the law. The draft distinguishes several types of breeding, highlighting the so-called “specialised breeding” in which the vast majority of the group of breeder dogs would be included, which are characterised by carrying out selective, responsible and moderate breeding in a family or home environment. The draft contains some requirements that these breeders must meet, but the RSCE will try to ensure that the final text is adapted to the reality of this type of breeding, absolutely aligned with the search for animal welfare.
The RSCE insists on the need to find a specific type of zoological centre that adapts to the conditions of the specialised breeder, something that Becerra has assured will be reflected in the Royal Decree that is being developed for this purpose.
During the meeting, the RSCE stressed that it has been carrying out very specific health tests for a long time, as well as other strategies such as inbreeding control, all of which are included in the Law and in the draft Regulation, but which should not be limited as a requirement for the specialized breeder, but should be mandatory for all types of breeding, including conventional and occasional.
Likewise, the RSCE has insisted on the existence of registries by official breeders’ associations, highlighting the capacity and quality of the RSCE books, as well as the possibility of extending them to all types of breeding and all types of dogs. On this point, the General Directorate of Animal Rights has acknowledged that the regulatory management of these registries will fall to the Autonomous Communities.
The association has recalled that it has been managing registers with accredited breeders for over a hundred years, so it would be interesting to share this data with the regions. For this reason, it calls for a framework of cooperation between the RSCE and the Autonomous Communities.
Regarding the registers, the RSCE has expressed one of its main concerns: the proliferation of pirate breeders motivated solely by the desire for profit. In recent years, the illegal trade in dogs has grown more and more through online platforms and social networks, which generates disastrous consequences for animals and owners, according to the European Commission itself. The draft presented by Social Rights facilitates the implementation of an audit regime by the Autonomous Communities to effectively control dog breeders and to identify false breeders.
One of the most relevant aspects for the RSCE is the number of litters per year that will be allowed for specialised breeders. Dr. Joaquín Cerdeira, Scientific Director of the RSCE and member of the Scientific Commission of the FCI, explained with data the need to adapt this number to reality and the need to promote moderate and responsible breeding as the main strategy for animal welfare, something that the two contemplated in the draft do not allow, to which the Director General assured that they would be willing to review these figures, according to the arguments of value that are sent to them by the RSCE.
The regulation of trainers, canine behaviour professionals, has also been on the table. The Animal Welfare Act raises and structures this figure, in addition to requiring a professional certificate. A certificate that is necessary to work in training with the Royal Canine Society and that gives great importance to the training of these professionals. The RSCE has requested that already recognised trainers be homologated in the new law. Likewise, the RSCE wants to achieve specific training for dog breeders, less generic than the current training for all types of animals, as well as considering the homologation based on experience of currently active breeders.
The sociability test is still pending, for which the Directorate General for Animal Rights positively values the tests already carried out by the Royal Canine Society. The RSCE asks to emphasise responsible ownership, for which it is important to evaluate both the control and handling of the owner and, undoubtedly, the temperament and personality of the dog.
The courses designed by the Ministry of Social Rights for owners will be free and can be taken online. They will consist of a final test that will be decisive in determining whether or not someone is prepared to live with a dog. The courses can be conducted by administrations or entities such as the RSCE, always under the supervision of the ministerial body.
“This highly productive meeting made it clear that for the regulatory development of the Law, the expert debate panels based on scientific criteria, which will include the RSCE, are essential for the Ministry of Social Rights. We have been applying tests to measure the temperament of animals for decades, working with breeders who are fully dedicated to the well-being of dogs, launching campaigns against abandonment and, ultimately, working for the health and improvement of man’s best friend,” said the president of the Royal Canine Society, José Miguel Doval.