19-08-2025 - FCI GENERAL ASSEMBLY, HELSINKI, 2025 – TAIL DOCKING AND EAR CROPPING.

Agenda Item 17.5 Cropped and docked dogs: 11 breeds for which the Breed Standard has been changed.

Simply put, the FCI Circular 57/2021, which came into effect on 01.01.2025, has been put on hold with immediate effect. This Circular provided as follows:

“FCI Circular 57/2021 - CROPPED/DOCKED DOGS OF BREEDS CUSTOMARILY CROPPED/DOCKED REMINDER

On the occasion of its online meeting on November 24, 2021, the FCI General Committee decided to remind the FCI Members and Contract Partners about the circular 8/2016 (dated 7/3/2016) referring to cropped/docked dogs of breeds customarily cropped/docked.

The FCI General Committee insists that, effective from 1st January 2025, the dogs with cropped ears/docked tail, belonging to breeds for which no reference is made to the cropped ears/docked tail in the FCI breed standards, will not be allowed anymore to be shown in any conformation event where the FCI breed standards are used.

It is up to the events’ organisers to find a solution so that they are informed beforehand about the anatomy of the dogs to be shown (for example via the entry form).

Please find BELOW the list of the breeds concerned.

We request the FCI Members and Contract partners to inform the breeders, the dog owners, the judges and show organizers in your country about this decision.”

Subsequently, the FCI General Committee proposed to the General Assembly 2025 that a Working Group be formed with some urgency to address this issue. This led to the President of the FCI A2O Section, to which KUSA belongs, to prepare the following Statement of the situation:

It should, therefore, be clear that no definite decision was made at the FCI General Assembly 2025, other than that Circular 57/2021 was to be put on hold, pending a further announcement.  In the interim, Circular 8/2016 will remain effective.

It was envisaged by the FCI President and the FCI General Committee that:

• The Working Group would be formed by the newly elected FCI General Committee directly after the closure of the FCI General Assembly 2025.
• This elected Working Group would hold its first meeting as soon as is possible in September 2025, and it was foreseen that a succession of meetings would be held thereafter to find a solution to this complex international issue, hopefully within the shortest possible timeframe.