Legislative and ethical aspects on use of canine artificial insemination in the 21st century

Abstract

In view of the important progress made in veterinary science and the increasing availability of new reproductive technologies in the 21st century, demand for canine artificial insemination (CAI) for medical and/or breeding management reasons is growing worldwide resulting in raising some legal and ethical concerns. Currently, imported chilled and frozen semen from European countries can be sold to the final consumer with no strings attached. To compound this problem, the importation in Europe has no bio-security procedures. Given the potential role of this canine semen's movements in spreading of bacterial (i.e. leptospirosis), parasitic (i.e. leishmaniasis), viral (i.e. canine herpesvirus) or genetic (i.e. progressive retinal atrophy) diseases from one state to another, the authors propose the application of regulatory measures regarding importation and exportation of semen in order to secure animal welfare and health. They underline that the interests and welfare of puppies that will be born as well as the health and welfare of bitches and sperm donors should be respected. For these reasons, ethical implications related to the use of canine semen should be taken into account. HIGHLIGHTSCanine artificial insemination is growing worldwide together with interest in the international semen shipment. Canine semen's movements could introduce disease agents or genetic diseases from one state to another. There are several different regulatory frameworks governing the use of artificial insemination in dogs. We suggest that the application of regulatory measures regarding importation and exportation of semen should be included in the EU legislation.

Correlation between sperm parameters and circulating thyroid hormones and testosterone concentrations in Labrador Retriever dog

“…The research complied with guidelines of Good Clinical Practices (EMEA, 2000) and of the Legislative and ethical aspects on use of canine artificial insemination (Quartuccio et al 2020). This study was performed according to the ethical principles that have their origins in the Italian Veterinarians' Ethical Code (Passantino 2007), and the Italian and European regulations on animal welfare ( D.L.…”

Flashing Lights, Dark Shadows, and Future Prospects of the Current European Legislation for a Better Traceability and Animal Health Requirements for Movements of Small Animal Germinal Products

“…A general recommendation is the certification of normal testicles in the male donor, to avoid the spread of genetic defects, as cryptorchidism ( 14 ). In this view, wider genetic screening may be required by breed association or by the market ( 1 ). The semen collection in the dog is performed with manual stimulation with or without an artificial vagina.…”

“…Germinal products (semen, oocytes, and embryos) collected or produced from animals for reproduction have always been marked and distributed worldwide. Given that these products are widely used in the animal population, including pet animals, and are also moved within the European Union (EU), they—if not handled properly or not categorized with the correct health status—may represent an important risk for the spread of animal diseases, causing poor animal welfare and substantial economic losses ( 1 ). To prevent the aforesaid risk, EU has recently adopted with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/686 (hereinafter EU Reg.)…”

Effects of Double Layer Centrifugation on the Improvement of Sperm Quality in Dogs: A Comparative Note among Different Breeds

“…To assess the semen quality monitor and predict the successful of fertilization rates for dogs, a longitudinal evaluation, including the endpoints of female fertility and pregnancy, was added. For this purpose, to monitor and predict the successful of fertilization rates for Labrador Retrievers, a longitudinal evaluation, including the endpoints of female fertility, pregnancy and the number of vital puppies, was done (Liotta and Majolino, 2015;Quartuccio et al, 2020).…”