I wrote my first “Best of Health” article for Our Dogs in March 2014 and I am grateful to Ali Smith and the Our Dogs editorial team for giving me the platform to share my views and what I hope have been interesting topics on canine health and welfare. You can find the whole archive here. When I presented to the RKC Board on 1st July, I said that if I was elected as Chairman I would no longer write for any newspapers or journals (which have always been unpaid). I do not want there to be any potential perception of a conflict of interest because it might be difficult to differentiate between my personal views and the official position of the RKC.
Many of my BoH articles shared good news stories about what the RKC has been doing in the area of canine health, such as Breed Health and Conservation Plans, genetic diversity analyses, and the work of the dedicated team of Breed Health Coordinators. I also wrote about the work of the International Partnership for Dogs who have been instrumental in fostering worldwide collaboration through their workshops and website.
While on the subject of potential conflicts of interest, I have also stated that I will not accept any more judging appointments while I am Chairman, either here in the UK or overseas. I have 2 appointments to complete (July 2025 and March 2027). I don’t judge anything other than Dachshunds and I don’t own any or exhibit them. I enjoy stewarding and hope to continue that, when invited.
I have also stepped down as Chairman of the Southern Dachshund Association as that was an executive role, with a potential conflict if discussing RKC matters.
So, finally, thank you to everyone for the feedback and comments on “Best of Health” over the years, and thanks again to the Our Dogs team for hosting BoH.
