Campaigners have warned that 67 breeds of dogs could be banned in the UK under proposed new legislation aimed at improving animal welfare. The all-party parliamentary group for animal welfare (APGAW) is developing rules that would use a 10-point checklist to assess whether a breed is healthy, potentially outlawing characteristics such as short noses, flat faces, and shortened legs.
Banned features could also include mottled skin, excessive skin folds, bulging eyes, drooping eyelids, underbite, overbite, and disrupted breathing. Critics say this would mean a ban on popular breeds including corgis, dachshunds, West Highland white terriers, chihuahuas, and shih tzus.
Beverley Cuddy, founder of the Union of Good Dog People, described the proposals as “the most shocking thing to happen to dog lovers in this country”. She added: “People will rightly be outraged at being told they can’t have the dogs they want. It’s madness.”
However, Marisa Heath, director of the APGAW, dismissed claims of a ban as “misleading and irresponsible”. She said the Innate Health Assessment (IHA) is a voluntary welfare tool designed to encourage breeding from dogs with healthy conformations, not to target specific breeds. “Many breeds cited as at risk — including corgis and dachshunds — have already passed the assessment in practice,” she added.
While currently voluntary, the IHA is already used by some councils to judge breeders, and could become law within five years. Margaret Hoggarth, secretary of the Welsh Corgi League, defended the breed’s health, saying: “They are trying to say any dogs with a certain look are unhealthy but anybody who has worked with corgis knows they are a very healthy breed.”
