Scots experts urges BBC to drop Crufts over cruel treatment of dogs

Aug 24 2008 By Raymond Hainey

A SCOTS animal cruelty expert yesterday demanded the BBC axe coverage of Crufts dog show.

Mike Flynn, of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, spoke out after Panorama's expose of the horrific health problems suffered by pedigree dogs as a result of in-breeding.

The documentary, screened on Friday, revealed many have life-threatening brain conditions, epilepsy, heart murmurs and cancers.

The BBC has shown highlights from Crufts for 42 years but Flynn demanded they pull out unless breeders' body The Kennel Club do more to stop in-breeding.

The SSPCA chief superintendent said: "The BBC stopping showing Crufts would stop the perpetuation of these deformed dogs as some sort of ideal standard.

"In effect, the BBC is advertising faulty products through Crufts - animals which have welfare problems.

"The fewer of these kinds of dogs which are bred the better. But a dog which wins Crufts automatically becomes attractive, demand soars and people will breed them to satisfy that demand.

"It encourages the unscrupulous breeder, which perpetuates and may even worsen the problems these dogs have. Selectively breeding to achieve a particular standard is totally wrong."

Many of Britain's five million pedigree dogs are at risk due to breeders striving for the "perfect" dog.

Pekingese, British bulldogs, King Charles spaniels and pugs are very different in looks from their ancestors.

Breeding methods include line breeding where close relatives such as brothers and sisters are mated to accentuate desirable characteristics - which is banned in many countries.

Pugs are so inbred that although there are 10,000 in Britain, their DNA could come from just 50.

The Pekingese's flat face causes breathing problems meaning some airlines refuse to fly them.

The 2003 Crufts winner Danny - a Pekingese owned by Scot, Bert Easdon - needed surgery to help it breathe.

Easdon - who breeds dogs near Moffat, Dumfriesshire - refused to comment.

In Pedigree Dogs Exposed, RSPCA chief vet Mark Evans said:

"When I watchCrufts, I see a parade of mutants. It's some freakish beauty pageant that has nothing to do with health and welfare."

Scots-born Kennel Club chairman Ronnie Irving defended the club - and accused TV production firm Passionate Productions of bias.

He said: "Alarm bells rang when we found out the biased nature of many of the questions. The majority covered negative issues.

"The Kennel Club have worked consistently to explain our point of view on canine health, describing the vast amount of time, effort and money the majority of breeders put into breeding healthy dogs."

CONDEMNED TO SUFFER

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK

PRONE to a rare form of deafness caused by a rogue gene created by selective breeding. They also have a neural defect of the spine which, unless fixed in an expensive op, causes abscesses and a painful death.

KING CHARLES SPANIEL

AROUND a third suffer agony because in-breeding has made their skulls too small for their brains. Many have to be put down.

BRITISH BULLDOG

CAN suffer from malformed spines which lead to paralysis if jarred. The problem arose as breeders tried to achieve the distinctive screw tail, causing deformed vertebrae.

GERMAN SHEPHERD

PARTICULARLY prone to hip and elbow dysplasia as a result of breeding. The bones do not fit properly into the sockets, leading to lameness and osteoarthritis.

ST BERNARD

THE demand for bulky dogs has caused a tendency towards enlarged and weakened hearts. The problem, also seen in other big dogs such as Great Danes and Irish Wolfhounds, also affects the lungs and liver and is eventually fatal.

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