PETA Demands Channel 4 Axe Crufts After Convicted Animal Abuser Wins “Best in Show”
PETA Demands Channel 4 Axe Crufts After Convicted Animal Abuser Wins “Best in Show”
London – Following reports that the Crufts “Best in Show” winner, Lee Cox, was previously convicted of cruelty to animals after keeping a dog named Adam in “disgusting” conditions – which resulted in him being infested with lice and having to have one of his ears amputated – PETA has fired off a letter to Channel 4 urging it to stop airing the dog show.
In the letter (available here), the animal protection group argues that the case highlights the Kennel Club’s failure to put safeguards in place to prevent individuals with animal-cruelty convictions from participating in – and even being celebrated at – the show. PETA adds that the suffering endured by dogs bred and exhibited for Crufts is not an anomaly but a systemic problem. The breed standards used by judges encourage exaggerated physical traits, resulting in dogs who are predisposed to chronic health problems and lifelong suffering.
“That the Kennel Club allows convicted animal abusers to participate and even win at Crufts tells you everything you need to know about the seedy dog breeding industry, where animals are viewed as money-making machines, rather than the sentient individuals they are,” says Senior Campaigns Manager Kate Werner. “Channel 4 must follow the BBC and stop airing this parade of cruelty immediately.”
The winner of this year’s “Best in Show” was a Clumber Spaniel, despite the breed being prone to hip dysplasia, spinal issues (IVDD), and eyelid abnormalities. Dog shows like Crufts also exacerbate the homeless companion animal overpopulation crisis by encouraging people to dash out and buy “must-have” breeds. Meanwhile rescue centres in the UK – which take in an estimated 130,000 dogs every year – burst at the seams with lovable animals waiting to be adopted.
Last week, PETA supporters dressed as pugs and bulldogs, wearing breathing masks and carrying oxygen tanks, gathered in central Birmingham to condemn Crufts for celebrating unwell dogs with extremely exaggerated features. The animal allies held signs reading “Flat-faced Dogs Struggle to Breathe” and “Flat-faced = Torture”.
PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way” – points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits. For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
Contact:
Jennifer White +44 (0) 20 7837 6327; [email protected]
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