Setting the Record Straight: The Truth About the IHA

Claims circulating on social media seriously misrepresent what the IHA does and why it exists. We address them directly.

We are aware of misleading content being circulated on social media that misrepresents the purpose of the Innate Health Assessment. The claims being made are inaccurate and damaging, because they discourage responsible breeders from engaging with a tool designed to protect the very breeds they care about.

The IHA does not seek to ban any breed. It does the opposite: it exists to preserve pedigree breeds by encouraging selection for dogs whose physical conformation is compatible with good health and welfare.

Posts Like These Are Misleading — If you have seen posts like those shown below, please disregard them.

They contain misleading information about the IHA. Sharing or acting on this content causes real harm to dogs by discouraging the welfare improvements they urgently need.

The IHA would not cause over 67 breeds to be “banned”

The IHA seeks to preserve breeds and help move breeds towards having healthier conformations.

The IHA has been developed and is grounded on the back of decades of strong scientific evidence.

We welcome scrutiny and genuine debate. What we cannot accept is the unchallenged spread of misleading claims that actively harm dogs by discouraging the welfare progress they need. The IHA is voluntary, evidence-based and breed-preserving. If you have questions about what the assessment actually involves, we would welcome the conversation.