Occasionally, however, the information requested is not available on our very comprehensive database. As the BBC is committed to ensuring that we derive the best possible value for money for all our Licence Fee payers we can no longer justify searching some of the individual enquiries we were previously able to handle. We regret that your request falls into this category and are sorry that we are unable to supply the information you requested on this occasion. We hope that you will understand the reasons why.
”

Interesting when many of their standard replies refer to American Bulldogs that they claim not to know!

As an owner of two American Bulldogs (hybrids) I am disgusted the lack of research by the BBC leads them to imply the breed are used for fighting and have been involved in deaths. To my knowledge neither claim is true in the UK.

This programme and the replies given to complaints have only increase the fear among the public.

One of my American Bulldogs was attacked by a terrier a while back. My dog stood still and waited for me to remove the terrier, hanging from his neck and once the terriers owner decided to put in an apperance, we carried on our walk. Guess that just isnt good tv tho is it?

Thank you for your e-mail regarding ‘Casualty - Diamond Dogs’.

I understand that you would like to know the breed of Dog that featured in the above programme on March 15th, and you would also like to know if it was chosen to portray a dangerous dog.

In regards to your query about the breed of dog, as I am sure you can appreciate, BBC Information receives hundreds of thousands of requests each year for information about specific details in our programmes. We are able to provide answers to nearly all the enquiries we receive.

Occasionally, however, the information requested is not available on our very comprehensive database. As the BBC is committed to ensuring that we derive the best possible value for money for all our Licence Fee payers we can no longer justify searching some of the individual enquiries we were previously able to handle. We regret that your request falls into this category and are sorry that we are unable to supply the information you requested on this occasion. We hope that you will understand the reasons why.

I can assure you that the chosen breed of dog would not have been selected to portray a dangerous dog. ‘Casualty is well aware of our commitment to impartiality, and would never set out to cause offense or suggest any breed of dog was dangerous. Senior editorial staff, the Executive Committee and the BBC Trust keep a close watch on programmes to ensure that standards of impartiality are maintained.

Never the less, I have noted your concerns on this matter and I would like to assure you that we have registered your comments on our audience log. This is the internal report of audience feedback which we compile daily for all programme makers and commissioning executives within the BBC, and also their senior management. It ensures that your points, and all other comments we receive, are circulated and considered across the BBC.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact us.

Regards

David Rattray
BBC Complaints

“The Casualty team are scrambled to treat a man who suffered an attack from a wild black Mamba whilst out walking his dog in Huddersfield. Meanwhile, the residents of Holby are thrown into panic as they come under attack from a swarm of angry terradactyls intent on shooting their deadly barbed, detachable tails at members of the public. And if that wasn’t enough, the nearby volcano is also threatening to erupt….”

Oh. The drama. It’s all about the drama.

I get the impression that although told by the dog’s owner that this was an American Bulldog (and from what was seen on the screen it must have at the very least been a Scott type - “The Scott type looks like a large, coarse, leggy, white Pit Bull” - and as such individual dogs (whatever ‘breed’ they are described as) may have enough PBT ‘type’ conformity to demand processing through court. The programme makers and the person responding to these complaints may have thought they were dealing with an American Pit Bull Terrier; they may have been trying to get round the ‘prohibition’ by calling it something else; then again maybe they don’t know the difference; then again maybe they don’t care; they’re just making a drama about what they think they know - BUT THE OWNER OF THAT DOG, WHATEVER ITS BREED ‘type’ SHOULD HAVE CARED AND SHOULD CERTAINLY CARE NOW AS IF YOU READ THE SENTENCE ABOVE FROM THE BBC THEY OBVIOUSLY THINK THAT THE DOG ON FILM IS A PHENOTYPE OF DOGS BRED TO FIGHT - AND PROHIBITED FROM OWNERSHIP IN THIS COUNTRY.

Dear Mr O’Meara

Thank you for your e-mail regarding ‘Casualty’ on BBC One, broadcast on 15 March.

I’m sorry to read that you didn’t enjoy the story which featured a dog in last Saturdays episode of Casualty and note that you feel it was irresponsible, inaccurate and sensationalised dog fighting.

As you identify yourself the breed of dog used in this episode wasn’t a Staffordshire bull terrier but an American bulldog. We accept and understand that the vast majority of bull breeds behave perfectly well. However, there have been well documented instances of this breed of dog attacking people, causing serious injury and in the worst cases, death.

These instances have been linked to dogs bred to fight illegally and this programme featured just such a dog and highlighted the consequences of this practice. We had no intention to vilify all dogs and firmly believe that this programme didn’t convey that impression.

Nevertheless, I would like to assure you that we have registered your comments on our audience log. This is the internal report of audience feedback which we compile daily for all programme makers and commissioning executives within the BBC, and also their senior management. It ensures that your points, and all other comments we receive, are circulated and considered across the BBC.

Thank you again for contacting the BBC.

Regards

Stuart Webb
BBC Complaints