Ten-point breeding health checklist in the national spotlight

The August edition of Pets Magazine puts the Innate Health Assessment (IHA) on its cover, asking "Cute, but at what cost?" and interviewing Marisa Heath, director of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare (APGAW), which developed the tool. Launched in November 2025, the IHA is a free ten-point visual checklist that anyone — breeders, stud dog owners, licensing officers or prospective puppy buyers — can use to assess a dog's innate health, with no veterinary training or equipment required.

The checks cover visible fundamentals: whether a dog can breathe freely, move comfortably and see clearly, and whether features such as skin folds or body proportions have been exaggerated to the point of compromising welfare. It applies to every breed equally, and a dog meeting at least eight of the ten checks is considered to pass. Importantly, it is designed to complement rather than replace genetic screening such as the BVA and Kennel Club Canine Health Schemes. The tool carries an unusually broad set of endorsements, including the British Veterinary Association, RSPCA, Dogs Trust, PDSA, Woodgreen and the Animal Behaviour and Training Council.

The assessment remains voluntary — ministers confirmed earlier this year that there are no current plans to write it into statutory licensing conditions — but its backers argue it helps breeders demonstrate compliance with existing welfare law, and some licensing officers are already drawing on it. For breeders, it is a quick, structured check worth running before any mating decision, alongside DNA results and scheme testing: genetic data tells you what a dog carries, while the IHA asks whether the body shape being passed on supports a comfortable life.