Why doesn’t the registry just publish a list of affected dogs?
Focusing on affected dogs without information about the dogs’ close relatives is of very little value over the long run for breeders. The key to making good breeding decisions is being able to estimate carrier risk in the relatives of an affected dog. In addition, exclusive listing of affected dogs tends to create a “witchhunt” atmosphere among breeders. Cooperation and sharing of information is crucial in the fight against a genetic disease. That’s why SIGHT only releases information on family groups of dogs and provides guidelines for how breeders can use that information.