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Gazette
INHERITED DISORDERS
Selective breeding of non-traditional companion animals HEREDITARY defects and excessive interbreeding have been well-known problems affecting the welfare of traditional companion animals and the subject of significant media attention recently. The British Veterinary Zoological Society (BVZS) considers that lessons should be learned from this experience as contemporary husbandry
and scientific advances have led to significant success in the captive breeding of nontraditional companion animals (NTCAs), predominately in the avian and herpetological arenas. The BVZS welcomes this advance as the vast majority of NTCA species in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species now maintained in the UK are being sourced from captive breeding programmes, and the keepers of private collections of NTCA species have contributed significantly to conservation through the sharing of their knowledge and expertise. We are, however, concerned that selective breeding of NTCA species, predominately, but not confined to, birds and reptiles, has
produced a number of phenotypic variants (morphs) which, while seemingly desirable for the purposes of showing or commercial fashion, are associated with significant genetic disorders. These include neurological deficits in reptiles, and birds with a reduced ability to fly. These would be expected to prevent the individual animal from exhibiting the five freedoms enshrined in the Animal Welfare Act 2006. In the interest of animal welfare and to ensure long-term viability of NTCA breeding programmes, we consider that NTCA morphs with hereditary defects known to be associated with welfare problems should not be bred or made available for sale or exchange. January 17, 2015 | Veterinary Record | 77
t
Letters
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Letters Where exhibition or show standards exist for a particular NTCA species, we consider that the relevant breed society has a duty to ensure the health and normal behaviour of the species will not be compromised by the standards set. In addition, we encourage breeders of NTCA species to maintain adequate written breeding records, cooperate to create stud books for all NTCA species maintained, and participate in out-breeding programmes regularly to ensure the longterm genetic viability of captive stock. In principle, we are not opposed to the selective breeding of NTCA species to produce desirable colour or pattern mutations (phenotypes) where there is no scientific evidence to suggest the phenotypic variants (morphs) are genetically inferior to the normal (wild type) phenotype of the same species. We would, however, encourage breeders to produce normal forms, particularly in rarer species, rather than morphs, recognising the private sector’s role in the conservation of scarcer species. The BVZS’s full position statement on breeding NTCA species is available on the BVZS website (www.bvzs.org). Michael Stanford, President, BVZS, Pool House, Pool Lane, Tarvin, Cheshire CH3 8JY e-mail: [email protected] doi: 10.1136/vr.h183
78 | Veterinary Record | January 17, 2015
Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on June 12, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
Selective breeding of non-traditional companion animals Michael Stanford Veterinary Record 2015 176: 77-78
doi: 10.1136/vr.h183 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/176/3/77.2
These include:
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Notes
To request permissions go to: http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions To order reprints go to: http://journals.bmj.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to BMJ go to: http://group.bmj.com/subscribe/
Gazette
INHERITED DISORDERS
Selective breeding of non-traditional companion animals HEREDITARY defects and excessive interbreeding have been well-known problems affecting the welfare of traditional companion animals and the subject of significant media attention recently. The British Veterinary Zoological Society (BVZS) considers that lessons should be learned from this experience as contemporary husbandry
and scientific advances have led to significant success in the captive breeding of nontraditional companion animals (NTCAs), predominately in the avian and herpetological arenas. The BVZS welcomes this advance as the vast majority of NTCA species in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species now maintained in the UK are being sourced from captive breeding programmes, and the keepers of private collections of NTCA species have contributed significantly to conservation through the sharing of their knowledge and expertise. We are, however, concerned that selective breeding of NTCA species, predominately, but not confined to, birds and reptiles, has
produced a number of phenotypic variants (morphs) which, while seemingly desirable for the purposes of showing or commercial fashion, are associated with significant genetic disorders. These include neurological deficits in reptiles, and birds with a reduced ability to fly. These would be expected to prevent the individual animal from exhibiting the five freedoms enshrined in the Animal Welfare Act 2006. In the interest of animal welfare and to ensure long-term viability of NTCA breeding programmes, we consider that NTCA morphs with hereditary defects known to be associated with welfare problems should not be bred or made available for sale or exchange. January 17, 2015 | Veterinary Record | 77
t
Letters
Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on June 12, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
Letters Where exhibition or show standards exist for a particular NTCA species, we consider that the relevant breed society has a duty to ensure the health and normal behaviour of the species will not be compromised by the standards set. In addition, we encourage breeders of NTCA species to maintain adequate written breeding records, cooperate to create stud books for all NTCA species maintained, and participate in out-breeding programmes regularly to ensure the longterm genetic viability of captive stock. In principle, we are not opposed to the selective breeding of NTCA species to produce desirable colour or pattern mutations (phenotypes) where there is no scientific evidence to suggest the phenotypic variants (morphs) are genetically inferior to the normal (wild type) phenotype of the same species. We would, however, encourage breeders to produce normal forms, particularly in rarer species, rather than morphs, recognising the private sector’s role in the conservation of scarcer species. The BVZS’s full position statement on breeding NTCA species is available on the BVZS website (www.bvzs.org). Michael Stanford, President, BVZS, Pool House, Pool Lane, Tarvin, Cheshire CH3 8JY e-mail: [email protected] doi: 10.1136/vr.h183
78 | Veterinary Record | January 17, 2015
Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on June 12, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
Selective breeding of non-traditional companion animals Michael Stanford Veterinary Record 2015 176: 77-78
doi: 10.1136/vr.h183 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/176/3/77.2
These include:
Email alerting service
Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up in the box at the top right corner of the online article.
Notes
To request permissions go to: http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions To order reprints go to: http://journals.bmj.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to BMJ go to: http://group.bmj.com/subscribe/
