Mr .Nicholas Baker M.P. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.
1st May 1996
Dear Mr Baker,
COUNCIL OF EUROPE PROPOSALS RE BREEDING OF DOGS.
As Chairman and Secretary of the Chinese Crested Club of Great Britain, and writing on behalf of the members, we are all horrified and dismayed at most of these proposals, and urge you to vigorously oppose their implementation. Many points can be made:
No indications are given about how much evidence has been uncovered to prove that, for example, hairlessness which is a characteristic of the Chinese Crested Dog is in any way detrimental to its health and well being, and the same should be said of most of the other characteristics listed. Neither of the Clubs in this country have been approached for their comments. Just who are these pundits who seem to claim such intimate knowledge?
If it was possible in any form of breeding to comply with such exact and specific weights, measurements and proportions we imagine that every mother would give birth to a Tom Cruise or a Marilyn Monroe. These “experts” merely show their ignorance of genetics.
Hairlessness, which is a natural mutation in the genes and not a man made condition which appears to be implied by the proposals, has occurred in many species. i.e. the elephant, the rhinoceros, the pig, but the most obvious example is Man himself.
There is published evidence to show that natives in parts of Mexico, where some of the hairless breads originate, still breed and hunt with their hairless dogs and have done for generations. The existence of hairlessness is recorded in the dog in Mexico, China, Turkey, Peru, Ethiopia. Paraguay, Argentina. the Caribbean and the Philippines. In Mexico excavations in tombs have revealed skeletons and clay figures of hairless dogs, indicating that during the Toltec period of 900~1200 A.D, it was held in great reverence. Illustrations from a reference book dated 1866 clearly show a dog exactly similar to the Chinese Crested Dog as bred today. To go back even further, there is more evidence of a hairless breed in a painting by 15th Century artist Gerard David. In his painting entitled Christ Nailed to the Cross, there is a little hairless dog clearly showing an excellent crest, socks, and a plume on his tail. How then can it be said that hairlessness is life threatening when the breed still exists practically unchanged for so long?
As no indication is given as to what should happen to those dogs which fail to comply with the many criteria, and there will be many, as Nature has of course not read the Council of Europe proposals, would it not be more correct to conclude that these proposals are in fact more ‘life threatening’ than any of the conditions listed?
Please, please, do not let us support another ill thought out set of regulations like the Dangerous Dogs Act.
Yours sincerely,
Chinese Crested Club of Great Britain
CHAIRMAN: Mrs Sue Jones, SECRETARY: Mrs Brenda Taylor.