Pedigree Dogs Exposed Film Maker Hits Out at Animal Rights Extremists
January 8, 2009 by Freelance Writers
The makers of Pedigree Dogs Exposed, the BBC documentary film that led to the BBC withdrawing from televising Crufts Dog Show in the UK are furious with PETA for jumping on the film’s bandwagon.
Earlier this week, PETA called for the US networks to stop televising Westminster Dog Show, citing the BBC film as evidence of unacceptable deformity and disease in pedigree dogs.
Pedigree Dogs Exposed was the result of two years’ careful research. The film highlighted serious health and welfare concerns in pedigree dogs that many experts agree need to be addressed urgently. However, the filmmakers have no connection to PETA and are idealogically opposed to PETA’s aims.
“I am horrified that PETA is using the film to further its own, warped agenda,” says Jemima Harrison, of Passionate Productions, which made the film for the BBC. “Our film is about animal welfare, not animal rights.
“PETA’s animal welfare record is appalling. It kills 97 per cent of the dogs that come to its shelters and admits its ultimate aim is to rid the world of what it calls the “domestic enslavement” of dogs as either pets or working dogs.
“In stark contrast, and the reason we made the film, is that we believe pedigree dogs are of tremendous value to society and that something needs to be done to arrest the damage caused by decades of inbreeding and selection for ‘beauty’. The film is a passionate call for urgent reform to save them before it is too late. To do that, there needs to be urgent reform of breeding practices and dog shows.
“PETA is a bunch of crackpots who do not care about anything but publicity and making money. They have not bothered to contact us - and, indeed, if they did we would make it very clear we do not want their support. It devalues and marginalises a film that raises a serious issue that needs to be addressed, and quickly.”
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“I am horrified that PETA is using the film to further its own, warped agenda,” says Jemima Harrison, of Passionate Productions, which made the film for the BBC. “Our film is about animal welfare, not animal rights.]
“PETA’s animal welfare record is appalling. It kills 97 per cent of the dogs that come to its shelters and admits its ultimate aim is to rid the world of what it calls the “domestic enslavement” of dogs as either pets or working dogs.
Well said Jemima. I think that PETA is an absolute disgrace and is the antithesis of animal welfare.
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PETA is bad news for animals, just Google them for proof! Well said Jemima, your hard work should not be highjacked by animal rights extremists.
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The maker of the doc was Jemima Harrison. She is the one who is hitting out (pretty conclusively) at PETA. If she was operating under the guise of PETA I'd hazard to suggest she wouldn't be quite so savaging of herself
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What is a 'pure bred' dog?
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As they say, What goes around, comes around."
“I am horrified that PETA is using the film to further its own, warped agenda,” says Jemima Harrison, of Passionate Productions, which made the film for the BBC.
Pot, Kettle and Black springs to mind
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With reality T.V. on the rise. People need to really be careful on what they decide to do. I can't stand PETA and what they are about. I am for animal welfare and the mistreatment of animals but they want to make cats and dogs extinct. They spend do fundraising for the Polar Bears and Whales because some of those species are going to become extinct and our grandchildren will not know what they are. Well do they not care that dogs are been around for thousands and th ousands of years and truly are Man's best friend! These people are extremist and crazy. They have a warped view of reality. They themselves are the ones who are abusive by killing thousands of dogs. I just can't comprehend what they are about.
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Toscania writes:
'Strangely enough, Jemima was told this is exactly what would happen. Perhaps now she will listen?'
How do you know this then?
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maybe jemmia should of thought about this before she got her rubbish doc on the Tv
she has now given peta all the amminition they need
no sympathy to her
she gave a very unfair view of dog breeder in general
when she should have targeted the puppy farmers and BYB
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They should have considered this before they put this program together! The people who produced this program opened their own can, now they have what they wanted. Their program could have been wonderful, instead it was exploitation in it's own right…….an over the top expose on problems that are no where near as bad as they attempted to portray!
I'm glad they have PETA now….. the world will now know who they have on their side.
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Sharon Normandin Reply:
January 10th, 2009 at 2:05 am
What makes you think that these problems are not as bad as they portray? Dwarf spaniels with skulls too small for their brains, leading to neurological problems. German Shepherd Dogs at Crufts that make the American-bred GSD's actually look sound! Bulldogs with heads so big they need C-sections to deliver puppies; Mother Nature would have rendered them extinct a long time ago. Bracycephalic dogs with faces so pushed in they can't breathe; granted, I think Pugs, and Boston Terriers are adorable and I do love their personalities, but is it right to create a deformity because it's "cute"?
The documentary was an eye-opener, and in no way suggested that we should stop breeding purebred dogs, or as PETA allegedly maintains, that we shouldn't even own them. My favorite comment from the documentary was one of the people being interviewed that he saw Crufts as a parade of deformed mutants. Breeders wouldn't have to be trying to find ways to eliminate health problems in their dogs if mankind in its infinite wisdom hadn't chosen to breed selectively for appearance, a bizarre appearance in some cases, and created some of those health problems.
Their program WAS wonderful, and my suggestion to USA Network was that they air the BBC documentary in the slot formerly reserved for Westminster.
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I would very much like to see an investigation into the blatant interference by the BBC into the UK KC's governance issues - fundamentally, the BBC said to the UK KC, "ban these 12 dogs from Crufts or we won't broadcast the show."
While the Pedigree Dogs Exposed documentary appears to have been a catalyst for this, I find it hard to believe that there isn't some other agenda at work within the BBC that brought about this decision.
Something very suspect in all this…
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'Something very suspect in all this'
Judith-Ann, please elaborate?
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Animal rights fanatics are infiltrating every aspect of our lives. They are in broadcasting, government, business, law, you name it, they have their filthy foot in it. There extreme view that animals should be equal and yet not, since their real goal is extermination, puts a foot on the necks of all of us who wish to remain "best friends" with pets and still consume meat and dairy. They keep hacking away at the rights of the majority of people. I love my pets and enjoy a good steak with a glass of milk. I hope to continue until I pass away and meet my beloved dogs up in heaven.
I will fight and continue to fight for my rights to enjoy the companionship of my dogs and show them.
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Yes, she's given them ammunition - but she's also exposed a problem. I'm not saying all dog breeders and showers are like this; but some are, and this isn't the first time I've heard of health issues in pedigree dogs, due to over-breeding to get the perfect show dog.
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I agree… Something is very suspect in all this… and PETA picked up on it (or played a part from the very beginning). The HSUS (United States) is just like PETA, only they do a better job of hiding their agenda.
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Why should she? The point the documentary makes doesn't become invalid just because an organization that is much criticized backed it.
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Some of the comments are exceptionally revealing of personal bitterness. Suggesting that the documentary maker should have known or has given ammunition is akin to saying an animal welfare message can be promoted in fear of it being hijacked by animal rights extremists. That is utter nonsense. What Jemima Harrison has actually done is very clearly separate her message of animal welfare from the PETA message. Couldn't be simpler. And it absolutely knocks on the head any accusations of association with the animal rights movement.
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It is poor breeding practice that loads the gun for PETA. Those who expose a problem are not the problem itself (though they may be pivotal in its resolution).
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Unfortunately I didn't see the film neither do I know enough about PETA so I cant make an informed judgement on either of them.
But surely there must be copyrights attached to the use of documentary and in any event, does it really matter who promotes the film as long as awareness is raised and people are educated with the truth?
Isn't this what the makers of the film would want above all else?
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PETA'S response can be seen here plus an undercover video of the Westminster Dog Show.__http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/01...
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I’m speaking from first hand experience of this Chiari Malformation/SM. Not because one of my dogs have it but that I do. I wrote to Dog World when I was first diagnosed with this in November 06, to say that CKCS breeders were the guardians of the breed and MUST NOT BREED FROM AFFECTED STOCK!!! This won me letter of the week. I subsequently wrote 2 or 3 more letters to Dog World on this and they were printed also. If anyone had put a collar and lead on me and paraded me around, I think the pain would have killed me. At least I have a voice, these poor dogs don’t.
When I saw the programme, i could totally empathise with the CKCS being filmed that was banging it’s head about and crying. I’ve been there and this is a horrendous illness. I have since had brain surgery and following that was probably the most horrendous 7 weeks of my life. There is no way that I could ever describe the post operative pain I went through. This condition is not curable but it can be made easier but I personally don’t think any dog should ever be put through this operation. I spent 2 years virtually bed ridden. How can a dog do that? Quite simply, it can’t! I still have a permanent headache and my balance is still affected but I don’t have blackouts anymore from the build up of cerebrospinalfluid being trapped in the brain. The programme was wrong insomuch as that when the brain protrudes through the skull and descends into the spinal canal, this is called a Chiari Malformation. The Syringomyelia is a different but associated problem. I now have cow tissue protecting the part of my brain where the skull had to be removed and have had a C1/C2 laminectomy (neck vertebrae ‘hollowed out’) to enable the free flow of CSF between the brain and spinal cord. My last brain scan now shows that I have developed a ‘dilated left vertebral artery, that distorts into the left side of my brain stem. I don’t know when this is going to ‘blow’ but I now carry a Living Will because of it. I am currently trying to find out if this has been caused by the downward protusion of the brain, which has consequently somehow pulled on the brainstem. Who is to say that this isn’t happening to dogs who are being operated on for this condition? Are they being operated on for the good of the dog, or for experimentation? I would gladly have accepted euthanasia if it had been available. If any dog of mine was ever diagnosed with this condition, I would have NO hesitation whatsoever in ending their suffering and believe me, suffering is what it is.
I have rarely been in support of these sorts of ‘anti-dog’ programmes as I firmly believe that what once used to be mans best friend, is now their worst enemy, because of the anti-dog brigade but this one has my full support. This needed to be brought into the open and to have had a breeder, knowingly using an affected dog at stud, allegedly 38 times, is unforgiveable and despicable. It made me ashamed to have been part of the dog showing world for 2 decades plus.
The reason it has taken me so long to follow this programme up is a simple one. I haven’t felt well enough to do it and I can’t sit for long with my neck flexed because of constant pain and pins and needles down my neck and back and my left arm doesn’t want to work properly.
So think on, those of you knocking this documentary, I could put myself in those dogs ’shoes’ and knew what they were going through. How many of you knocking this, do? And any CKCS breeders who may read this and know you are guilty of using affected stock, hang your heads in shame and think of the agony the affected progeny are going to go through. And any CKCS owners who’s dogs may be diagnosed with this dreadful condition, please think twice before allowing surgery.
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