BBC’s Continued Coverage of Crufts In Doubt in Wake of Pedigree Dogs Exposed Program

The BBC has today sensationally threatened to review its coverage of Crufts dog show in light of what it perceives to be heel dragging by the Kennel Club in not being active enough in attending to some of the serious problems affecting pedigree dogs.

The amazing claim during an exchange between the Kennel Club’s Bill Lambert and RSPCA chief vet Mark Evans on BBC Breakfast. The BBC’s press office confirmed it was in negotiation with the Kennel Club to discuss the serious issues raised by tonight’s program ‘Pedigree Dogs Exposed’.

It comes as a further blow to the Kennel Club who have been ravaged by the RSPCA this morning as well.

The RSPCA’s chief vet Mark Evans described it as a ‘parade of mutants’ in the documentary, which has already drawn hostility from the Kennel Club even before it has aired, who fear the program is likely to attack them and the world of pedigree dog breeding.

Ronnie Irving, chairman of the KC is heard in the program, saying his 40-years experience with breeding dogs carries more weight than the scientific community, “I don’t want a bunch of scientists telling me that they know more than I do about all the dogs I’ve known over 40 years” he barks when questioned about some of the serious health concerns running through many pedigree breeds.

The show, which has been two years in production, has already drawn a stinging rebuke from the Kennel Club who have accused it (without yet seeing it) of bias.

But the RSPCA chief vet is adamant the Kennel Club must bear the weight of responsibility for many of the problems affecting today’s pedigree dog breeds. He said:

RSPCA chief vet Mark Evans was interviewed for the programme.

“The welfare and quality of life of many pedigree dogs is seriously compromised by established breeding practices for appearance, driven primarily by the rules and requirements of competitive dog showing and pedigree dog registration.”

The Kennel Club, for their part have issued a preemptive statement hitting out at what they said was preconceived bias. Speaking about the program the Kennel Club say:

“We soon discovered that the members of the production company seemed to have pre-conceived and extremely biased views on the subject. Alarm bells rang when we found out the biased nature of many of the questions being posed both to ourselves and to others.”

For regular readers of K9 Magazine, they will know that the Kennel Club is highly sensitive to criticism and has a habit of trying to deflect rather than address the issues they are being criticised for, a preemptive attack on a program they have not yet even seen would appear to be in keeping with this trend.

But the RSPCA is not on the same page as the UK’s governing body of all things pedigree dog. Mark Evans speaking on BBC Breakfast explained that the RSPCA is “very concerned about the unacceptably high levels of disability in pedigree dogs”.

Bill Lambert disagrees, saying: the vast majority of dogs are “perfectly healthy”. He goes on. “The vast majority of breeders do not do close breeding.” He goes further on the issue of sibling matings and parent to offspring matings saying “We can’t ban it in practice (sibling matings).” This, despite the fact that other countries have done just that (ban incestuous matings).

Mark Evans added: “There is overwhelming scientific evidence to support the fact that there is a major problem. This is a time bomb waiting to happen. The odds are heavily stacked against pedigree dogs.”

K9 Magazine, as many regular readers will be aware, has been calling for urgent reform of dog breeding practices in the UK for several years. Judging by initial reactions, the KC has tucked tail and gone on the defensive - including a preemptive press release and promoting a website www.doggenetichealth.org which is actually registered to a public relations company - rather than take on board the serious concerns that many, many dog lovers have been expressing over time.

The RSPCA is to be commended for sticking their head above the parapet on this issue, however they are still a very prominent presence at Crufts of dog show with a large trade stand. Surely they have to make a decision on where their priorities lie, with the health and welfare of dogs or with their profile raising activities at the largest dog show, which surely has to be seen as endorsement of the flagship event of the industry they are now so aggressively condemning.

The BBC’s claim that they are to review the ongoing televised coverage of Crufts, whilst sensational, needs to be monitored. They (the BBC) have obviously got enough concerns about what Pedigree Dogs Exposed has raised and it will be important that reform happens and happens now. No action is unacceptable. No action is what has lead us to where we are today.

For their part, the Kennel Club needs to accept that the world of pedigree dogs needs strong leadership. They have singularly failed to provide it, leading dogs to where they are today - with many breeds a pitiful, disease riddled shadow of what they should be. It is wholly unacceptable to appoint itself as the leader in the world of pedigree dogs and to issue the public objective that: “The primary objective of the Kennel Club is ‘to promote in every way, the general improvement of dogs’ whilst going on national television to state they are powerless to prevent sibling matings. This is absolute bunkum. If the Kennel Club is unable to effect a rule that allows them to refuse to register the offspring of father to daughter matings, brother to sister matings and other inbreeding that would, frankly, be illegal in our own species, when other countries have done just that, then it really is time for them to pack it up, step aside and accept that their tacit endorsement of horrendous breeding practices is causing far more harm than good.

The Kennel Club should be left in no doubt, it must reform or die.

Author Details
Ryan O'Meara is editor-in-chief of K9 Magazine, the lifestyle magazine for dog lovers. He lives in the East Midlands with his own two dogs, Mia and Chloe. - See this author's webpage

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