BBC AmericaWill a British TV show about the possible dangers of dog breeding
set off the cultural controversy here that it did in the U.K.?
When "
Pedigree Dogs Exposed" first aired on the BBC in August 2008, the film's depiction of the extreme health problems suffered by some pedigreed dogs caused a national outrage. In fact, the BBC felt so strongly about its own documentary that, bucking tradition, it refused to air the annual Crufts dog competition, which is as prestigious in Britain as the Westminster or National Dog Show is in the U.S.
Stateside, BBC America premiered the program on Thursday.
"Pedigree Dogs Exposed" puts forth interviews and at times disturbing footage about dog breeding that suggest it is an immoral and unethical practice. Featured in the documentary is Sylvie (above), a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that according to the film suffers from Syringomyelia, meaning her skull does not sufficiently fit her brain. The documentary states that Syringomyelia is described in humans as "one of the most painful conditions you can have, a burning pain, a piston-type headache, so that even light touch, even items of clothing can induce discomfort for these animals."
At the start of the
(which you can watch below in its entirety), a narrator states, "This film reveals, for the very first time, the extent of health and welfare problems in pedigree dogs. Later on, a talking-head interviewee says, "People love these animals. It's like seeing a close relative falling apart. In many ways I think that's just criminal."