Harry Spira

Who is Harry Spira?

Harold R. Spira, BVSc MRCVS MACVSc HDA, most commonly referenced as Dr. Harry Spira, was an Australian veterinarian, geneticist and dog fancier who was instrumental in the development of dog breeding programs which used artificial insemination and frozen semen. An author and respected dog-show judge, he was active in the Australian National Kennel Club and proposed an alternative system of dog breed grouping.

Among his myriad activities, Harry Spira participated in the promotion of the Afghan Hound in Australia and was an outspoken opponent of breed-specific legislation against the German Shepherd dog. His book Canine Terminology, which has come to be considered a standard text on the subject, was reprinted in 2006.

Dr Spira was the first Australian appointed to judge the coveted Best In Show award at Crufts Dog Show in England.

Dr. Harry Spira died at the end of the decade of the 2000s. Page 4 of programme for 2009 Purina Sydney Royal Dog Show, under heading "BEST IN SHOW PRIZES" lists "H R Spira Perpetual Trophy, donated by friends and admirers of the Late Dr Harry Spira"