Kennel Club Lodges BBC Complaint Over "Predigree Dogs Exposed" Documentary

[Gypsy & Me]

In relation to this thread I thought this might be interesting to you all... good for The KC I say! Program On BBC1

Kennel Club lodges BBC complaint

The Kennel Club is lodging a complaint with TV regulator Ofcom about a BBC documentary exposing genetic illnesses in pedigree dogs.

The club, which runs Crufts dog show, said it was unfairly edited and did not properly reflect its "deep commitment to the health and welfare of dogs".

It also said it was reviewing its contract with the BBC to broadcast the famous show.

A spokesman for BBC Documentaries said it stood by the programme's content.

In a separate statement, the corporation said it was "seeking reassurance, on behalf of its viewers, that the objectives, practices and organisation of the breed competitions at Crufts have as a first priority the health and welfare of all dogs taking part in the competition".

An advisory panel would be set up to consider "what measures the Kennel Club should be expected to take now and commit to in the future".

It added: "The panel will be asked to give the BBC their advice quickly to enable the BBC to discuss the issues with the Kennel Club before planning begins for coverage of Crufts 2009." Crufts has been transmitted on BBC Two since 1966.

The move comes after the RSPCA pulled out of the show over welfare concerns.

Pedigree Dogs Exposed, which aired last month, said physical traits required by the Kennel Club's breed standards, such as short faces and dwarfism, lead to inherent health problems.

The deliberate mating of close relatives, in particular, had left animals suffering from epilepsy, breathing problems and deformities, it claimed.
The documentary also said dogs suffering from such conditions were not prevented from competing in dog shows and had gone on to win "best in breed", despite their poor health.

Kennel Club spokeswoman Caroline Kisko told the BBC it was not "a tenable position" for the broadcaster to show Crufts - a programme "celebrating dogs" - when it had also aired a documentary "which was clearly so heavily biased against dogs".

"All of those dogs that were shown on the programme were taken to be to do with the Kennel Club," she said.

"The message put across by the programme was that all their disabilities, their illnesses, were caused by something which the Kennel Club had done, to the point where we were likened to Nazis."

Ms Kisko said the Kennel Club had recognised that "things had gone too far" with some breeds several years ago and was making efforts to address their health issues.

But she added: "The fact of the matter is that the large majority of pedigree dogs in the country are healthy."

In a separate interview, Ms Kisko told the BBC the Kennel Club currently allowed inbred dogs to be registered with them - a requirement for entry into Crufts.

But that position would be reviewed in the next few months following the expected publication of research, by scientists at Imperial College, into whether inbreeding had detrimental effects, she added.

Crufts sponsor

A second charity, Dogs Trust, has also announced that it is withdrawing from Crufts and the Westminster Dog Show.

In a statement, it said: "Dogs Trust believes that this removal of support is the strongest signal it can give to the Kennel Club and breeders to achieve immediate action to ensure that the health and wellbeing of pedigree dogs is ranked over appearance and artificial breed standards."

Crufts' sponsor, and dog food maker, Pedigree said it was "concerned at the findings of the BBC's recent documentary".

"Pet health and welfare is our primary concern at Pedigree and we are committed to continuing our work with all parties to promote responsible dog ownership."

The RSPCA is carrying out a scientific review of pedigree dogs and their care which will be released in January.

(Video of clips from the documentary at link below)

BBC NEWS | UK | Kennel Club lodges BBC complaint

[Franceen]

Sorry, I don't agree. NO dog with health problems should be given a best in breed award! Especially when those problems are caused by bad breeding practices. It is rather late in the day for Crufts to say they are will be reconsidering their contract with the BBC - NEWS FLASH!! - the BBC had already told them that it is reconsidering its contract with them! And, for them to say the BBC was biased against dogs ( HUH!!!??) and that they, Crufts, were celebrating dogs! What kind of logic is this? The BBC were trying to point out that the standards required by Crufts were instrumental in causing illness in dogs, in some cases and it should be stopped. How is this being biased against dogs? Nobody said that all the dogs at Crufts are ill or deformed! I am sure that most owners are loving, caring and do the best they can for their pets. Some people are rather more keen on the awards than the ultimate health of their dog. I am very pleased to see the BBC is also being supported by the RSPCA and Dogs Trust, which, I see, have both withdrawn support. Healthy, normal dogs should be 'celebrated' by Crufts. Dogs that are happy, well behaved and glowing with health, should win best in breed. Look at the German Shepherd that is considered to be best in breed. It has shorter back legs, than the breed normally had, now. It looks deformed. Why on earth do they want these dogs to have shorter back legs?! Am I misinformed here, but surely they weren't made that way for good reason, their legs were normal so they did not have back problems? To me this is craziness and cruel. Sorry if I have offended people but I feel very strongly about this and I feel I must speak out. If I am proved wrong I will apologise, and if the BBC, the RSPCA and Dogs Trust are proved incorrect in their judgement of Crufts, I will withdraw my comments as well.

Yvonne

[Smarty Bones]

It's unreasonable for them to expect the pubic to believe that the comments of Kennel Club reps and some others in the show were edited to make them look bad -- the reps interviewed made themselves look cruel and irrational.

i was enraged by the one KC official's saying that he did not know that the Kennel Club's guide standard for Ridgebacks said that the ones without the "ridge" should be euthanized ("culled"). How could they not know? The response that "it's always been there" isn't good enough when the standard for Ridgebacks was reviewed in 2007(?). Further confirmation is that some breeders interviewed still held to the practice and one horrible women said that they have to seek out older vets to kill those heathly ridge-less ridgebacks because the younger vets just won't do it and don't understand traditions. it was encouraging to see that euthanasia part striked out from the book later in the documentary. And on and on... (apologize for the grammar/spelling -- enraged about this and writing this on my phone)

[Smarty Bones]

Is anyone here familiar with German Shepard breeding/showing? I was so so surprised to see the difference btwn the slope-backed show dogs and the "working" ones I'm familiar with. I would be interested to know if you think that the documentary was an accurate presentation

[cobden28]

I think I've read somewhere that the Kennel Club has altered the breed standard for Pekingese so that these dogs now have to have a bit of a nose - ie their noses aren't so squashed into their faces. Some breeders are, I believe, upset at this change and say that the new Pekingese breed standards don't look like a Peke at all.

I would beg to differ on that point. I collect old Pekingese breed books, and the early Pekes that came into this country from China had less profuse coats, slightly longer legs and more of a nose. Modern Peke breeders are claiming there's no breed of dog that can be interbred with the Peke in order to give Pekes a 'nose' - what about the Tibetan Spaniel, Shih-Tzu, Lhasa Apso? From what's written in some of my early Peke books, Pekes in the old Imperial Palace were sometimes crossed with Tibetan Spaniels and my late Peke was often mistaken for a Shih Tzu.

I'd not object to a dog that was a mixture of Peke and Tibetan Spaniel - the result would be more like the early Pekes that were brought into this country from China in the very early 1900's.

What do others think of this? I'd be interested to know.

[Franceen]

I am pleased to see that the Kennel club has at least made a small start at changing the standard of one breed. I would not object to the mixture of Peke and Tibetan Spaniel.

Luv
Yvonne xx