Continuing the high-level professional activities for the preservation of Hungarian dog breeds (Komondor, Kuvasz, Puli, Pumi, Mudi, Vizsla, Wirehaired Vizsla, Transylvanian Hound, Hungarian Greyhound) is unthinkable without utilizing the achievements and tools of modern science. In order to coordinate their professional activities aimed at promoting the preservation of Hungarian dog breeds, as well as preserving their abilities and genetic diversity, Prof. Dr. Péter Sótonyi, the Rector of the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, and Daniel Fernandez Diaz, the President of HUKOSZ – Hungarian Dog Breeds Association, signed an agreement on Wednesday, January 11, in Budapest. The coordinator of the collaboration, focusing on the protection and welfare of Hungarian dog breeds, is the Center for Animal Welfare of the University.
Through their joint efforts, the two organizations aim to contribute to the goal of having a regulated and controlled population of Hungarian dog breeds in Hungary, consisting of healthy, genetically sound, and purebred individuals free from hereditary diseases or abnormalities. It is essential that breeding is based on a continuously renewing knowledge base, with regular scientific publications and other initiatives supporting breed preservation. They will synchronize their educational activities, exchange professionals, and cooperate mutually to develop domestic animal husbandry culture and animal welfare. In order to prevent the disappearance of traditional hunting and pastoral cultures, which are essential for preserving the abilities of Hungarian dog breeds, they aim to protect and preserve natural habitats, traditional farming methods, and economic forms, representing the values of the Hungarian quality inherent in hungarikum in a dignified manner.
It is interesting fact that since 2017, the garden of the campus of the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest has been adorned with life-sized bronze sculptures of the nine Hungarian native dog breeds, created by sculptor Gábor Benő Pogány.
