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Overview
The Royal Kennel Club promotes dog health, welfare and training in the UK. It runs the country’s largest dog registration databases, including Petlog, a microchip reunification service, and it licenses shows and runs the Crufts show. It also runs the Assured Breeder Scheme, the Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme, and a major dog training and events calendar, collecting data, certifying breeders, training dogs and reuniting lost pets. Its goal is to help dogs live healthy, happy lives with responsible owners by funding welfare campaigns, supporting health screening and research, and continuing education and training for owners and professionals.
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Simplify's take
What believers are saying
- Crufts 2026 drew 19,000 entries and 155,000 visitors, proving durable demand.
- Petlog reunification improvements increased lost-dog returns, strengthening daily utility beyond shows.
- Crufts Club and breed-health initiatives target the 75% of UK dog owners outside RKC.
What critics are saying
- Pedigree breeding faces sustained welfare attacks, threatening registrations and Crufts relevance by 2027.
- The 2026 mandatory health-testing roadmap imposes costly breeder compliance and slows breed participation.
- Membership governance friction remains visible after 2026 tribunal disputes over expulsions and mandates.
What makes The Royal Kennel Club unique
- Royal prefix granted by King Charles III in 2026 gives unmatched UK pedigree authority.
- Crufts and Petlog create proprietary, member-facing dog data and event infrastructure.
- Breeding For Health Framework, launched January 2026, anchors policy leadership on pedigree welfare.
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