Statement issued by the Lafora Team: July 2014

Post date: Jul 18, 2014 6:39:29 PM

It has been brought to our attention that there are rumours circulating concerning the administration of the Lafora testing programme that could be interpreted as questioning the integrity of members of the Lafora team. There is no excuse for this. We therefore wish to clarify the following:A: It has taken 8 years of fundraising, hard work and determination in order to establish a clinically sound DNA test, now accepted by the majority of responsible breeders, as evidenced by the rapid increase in ‘Lafora-safe’ litters recorded in the KC Breed Records Supplement. The test procedure meets the strict standards required before the Kennel Club will approve an official DNA testing scheme. Results from the Canadian laboratory go direct to the Kennel Club in line with their request. The owners of dogs tested receive a copy of the certificate. These results are communicated exactly as received from the laboratory and CANNOT be altered or changed in any way by any member of the team. The results are recorded on the Kennel Club database.B: Future testing Testing will take place twice a year. It will be held at the central, Lichfield location with a sliding subsidy scale. Once the subsidy is fully used the full price will apply. All the bloods will be sent to the laboratory in Canada, as now. The application form process will continue with forms being requested and sent to Susan.Holt@talktalk.net or pnprice@mypostoffice.co.uk

Sue Holt; Nora Price; Ian Seath; Gill Key; Arnold Derry; Phil Rollinson

July 18th 2014