At Hope Rescue, we’ve seen far too many dogs abandoned, seized, or surrendered, suffering from serious health problems caused by breeding for extreme physical traits. These exaggerated conformations often lead to complex issues such as breathing difficulties, eye disorders, skin conditions, and spinal or joint problems. At best, these dogs may need surgical intervention or face a shortened life expectancy; at worst, their suffering is so severe that we’ve had to make heartbreaking welfare decisions.

Yesterday, we were proud to attend the launch of the Innate Health Assessment (IHA) at the House of Lords. Developed by the All-Party Group for Animal Welfare, the IHA is a checklist of 10 key conformational criteria. It can be used by breeders, dog owners, prospective owners, and licensing authorities to assess a dog’s innate health characteristics, such as whether they are healthy enough to breed. For example, can the dog breathe freely without a shortened muzzle, narrowed nostrils, or noisy breathing?

No dog should suffer because we want a certain “cute” look or because breeders profit from extreme conformation. Our hope is that this tool will eventually become part of a regulatory framework for breeding, licensing, and enforcement.

We were fortunate to attend a trial day at Battersea during the tool’s development, and we’ve provided case studies and an official endorsement alongside all major animal welfare charities. Please take a moment to check out the tool for yourself, try it on your own dog, and share it to help spread the word: https://www.innatehealthassessment.org/