Members thwart Cavalier health plans
26 Mar 2009 08:57
A BID by the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club to halt the spread of syringomyelia (SM) in the breed has been thwarted.
At last weekend’s AGM, the committee wanted to include a clause in its code of ethics – similar to those concerning heart and eye-testing protocol – recommending that breeders MRI scan dogs before using them at stud.
An initial motion was passed, but later members asked for the vote to be taken again because they felt there had not been enough discussion and that some people had not understood the proposal.
This was agreed and this time the motion was lost by a heavy majority.
Under scrutiny
The breed has been under scrutiny since the programme Pedigree Dogs Exposed showed Cavaliers suffering from the painful condition SM.
After the AGM, chairman Lesley Jupp said the committee had been ‘very disappointed’ by the outcome of the vote.
At the start of the meeting it was reported that Margaret Carter – who featured on the BBC programme talking about SM – had been the only person nominated to join the committee, but that she had withdrawn her nomination. Three vacancies have still to be filled. This was followed by the committee’s proposal to add the SM recommendations to the club’s code of ethics.
Under new rules, the Kennel Club has drawn up the code and allows each breed club to suggest additions. At first the motion was passed by 25 votes to 15, with nine abstentions. But a little while later discussion became heated when members demanded that this vote should be taken again. Some said they had not heard what was said and thus not known what they were voting for.
Under some pressure, Mrs Jupp agreed that a vote could be taken on an amendment to remove the SM recommendations from the code. This was carried by 37 votes.
Afterwards Mrs Jupp said: “We wanted to bring in a clause in our code. We have guidelines for eyes and hearts and we wanted to include them for SM. Breeding stock is supposed to be MRI scanned – these are recommendations, not stipulations. It would be in line with our eyes and heart recommendations.
“We are very disappointed that this was not passed – and by such a considerable majority.”
Asked why such a recommendation would be so unpopular, Mrs Jupp said: “Anyone could hazard a guess.”
Mrs Carter, now a controversial figure within the club’s membership, was present at the meeting.
“I didn’t speak. I wasn’t going to act as a catalyst for anything,” she said on Tuesday. “Anything that happened was not initiated in any way by me.
“The committee was wholeheartedly behind the motion and the chairman said it was important that owners health-check their dogs and it was their responsibility to do so. To be fair, the committee is trying to take things forward but it is being beaten.”
Media training
It is understood that the treasurer’s report showed that the special general meeting held to oust Mrs Carter from the committee had cost the club £2,082. There was an additional expenditure of £1,147 which paid for the committee to be trained on how to deal with questions from the media following the SGM.