PRO'S REPORT ON A MEETING HELD AT THE GEORGE, MARKFIELD
LEICESTERSHIRE ON SATURDAY 16TH NOVEMBER 2002

 

The Chairman opened the meeting at 11.20 with 12 constituent clubs present - East Midlands, Morecombe Bay, North Eastern, Northern Counties, Notts and Derby, Potteries, Scottish, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, South Wales, Merseyside, Southern Counties and East Anglia. Those Clubs without representation were, Downlands, Northern Ireland, North of Scotland, North West, Western and Alyn and Deeside. The meeting was therefore quorate.


MATTERS ARISING

Following the nominations for the position of Secretary/Treasurer
Miss Jaci McLauchlan was re-elected until March of 2003.


FREE DISCUSSION PERIOD

A delegate brought to the meeting's attention a letter she had received from a member of her Club from Cornwall concerning advice she had sought from her local dog warden concerning her two staffords who are of a lively disposition. The advice from the dog warden was to muzzle them in public. This was felt to be the wrong advice, and the member concerned had asked her club to take the matter further.

The KCBLO suggested that pressure be applied to try and obtain minimum levels of training for Dog Wardens, as at present they have no standardised level of training. He suggested that letters be sent from the Clubs to the Kennel Club, NDWA and their local MPs to try and implement this. The NDWA has already been approached and as yet no reply has been received. It was then suggested that local Dog Wardens might be invited to shows as a public relations exercise.

Another delegate suggested that some of the public's perception of the breed is not necessarily good, this the delegate felt could be directly linked to indiscriminate breeding.

It was suggested that there be a National Stafford Day sometime in 2003, when all the clubs would arrange to have a Meet the Stafford day in their local area. It was agreed that the delegates would discuss this with their clubs and hopefully a date can be confirmed at the next meeting

The PRO was asked to produce guidelines for purchasing a Stafford puppy, how to go about buying a puppy, what to ask the breeder and what the breeder might ask any prospective buyer. This has now been done and is posted on the Web Site.

Enquiries were made as to the progress with the Breed Council Logo. The PRO was asked to finalise matters, with regard to copyright, and posting the Logo on the Web Site, This has now been finalised and completed.

A discussion took place on work that is being done by the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket concerning a metabolic defect that has occurred in Staffords. This was raised at the last meeting and briefly discussed but it was felt that it warranted further discussion at this meeting as there have been more incidents of this defect occurring. The Animal Health Trust has now been able to take samples from some of the family of affected dogs and are able to indentify affected animals within that family. To this end it was felt that it would be of benefit to ask the Animal Health Trust to come to talk at a Breed Council's Members Health Seminar which will take place either at the end of January or beginning of February 2003.
Further details will be made readily available to Clubs nearer the time.

HC/DNA UPDATE

There is very little extra to report at this stage. We are still awaiting the outcome of the KC Advisory Committee which meets on the 28th November concerning funding. The Animal Health Trust will still accept blood tests from HC affected dogs and close relatives.

Date of next Meeting, Saturday 15th March, 2003 at the George Inn Markfield, Leicestershire.


Veronica Brown,
Public Relations Officer,
Staffordshire Bull Terrier Breed Council of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland.
 

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