The Blue Cross offers advice to concerned pet owners

As thousands of people descend on Crufts for the annual celebration of all things canine, we are at the show to offer advice and support to dog lovers who are concerned about recent controversy surrounding the health of pedigree dogs.

Visitors to The Blue Cross stand at Crufts will be able to benefit from a ‘jargonbuster’ – a guide to some of the more confusing terms in pedigree dog health – as well as a list of the key attributes of the top ten most popular pedigree dog breeds. Experienced Blue Cross staff will be on hand to offer advice on all aspects of pet ownership, and a selection of over 70 free ‘All About Pets’ advice leaflets will be on display for visitors to take away or download online.

A survey of over 1,000 pet owners conducted by The Blue Cross earlier this year revealed that 74 per cent were concerned about the issue of inherited health defects in some dog breeds, but 38 per cent felt powerless to do anything about it. Furthermore, 33 per cent of pet owners thought they could help reduce the problem if they knew more about it but 65 per cent did not know where to find reliable information about the health and welfare of pedigree dogs.

In response to these findings, we have produced a ‘Blue Cross Guide’ to pedigree dog health, containing practical steps that every dog lover can take to help make a difference through making informed choices and supporting responsible breeding practices.

Advice includes:

• Do your research
• Consider a rescue pet
• Use a reputable breeder
• Maintain good health
• Help protect the next generation

Debbie Curtis, The Blue Cross head of communications says: “We know that three quarters of pet owners are concerned about inherited health defects in dogs, so we have designed our stand at Crufts to provide as much information as possible so that every pet lover can help us achieve a brighter future for our pets.”