‘I Went Undercover at Crufts – 4 Shocking Things I Heard’
This week, the international dog show Crufts returned to Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC).
Organised by the Kennel Club, Crufts glamourises breeding “pedigree” dogs to have exaggerated physical features humans find appealing – such as flat faces – to the detriment of their health.
PETA has regularly protested Crufts to highlight how cruel breeding dogs is, pointing out that flat-faced dogs can’t even breathe properly at our protest to coincide with the first day of this year’s event.
On the third day, Saturday, 7 March, one of our supporters went behind the scenes at Crufts to document disturbing practices some dog breeds are put through to achieve the perfect “pedigree” dog.
1. Dogs are Bred for Profit – at the Expense of Their Health
Our supporter spoke to breeders of bulldogs, French bulldogs, pugs, and Cavalier King Charles spaniels. These are all breathing-impaired breeds (BIBs), who have been bred over the years to have a shortened skull shape. This restricts their airways, meaning they may struggle to even breathe properly, let alone run in the park and chase a ball.
The French bulldog breeder admitted to our supporter that any brachycephalic breed could have issues with breathing due to their genes and with any genetic issue you can’t guarantee a healthy puppy. They also told us that these breeds have more issues than others because they have been “squished” and look like they have been “hit with a frying pan”, but that any breed will have genetic traits that they are predisposed to.
Several breeders told us that they don’t have to carry out health checks for dogs – and it can be difficult for buyers to know if the dog they are buying will have expensive health problems. One breeder said that the recent demand for French bulldogs meant that they became like “designer handbags” who people were breeding purely for profit. Ironically events like Crufts perpetuate this problem by making certain breeds more desirable.
A Cavalier King Charles spaniel breeder told us that it’s a “lottery” whether a dog is healthy or not and that some people breed them just for money. They admitted that these dogs are bred to have an unnaturally domed skull, and that they undergo tests for their eye and heart health, which another King Charles breeder told us was because they are notoriously prone to heart murmurs. This breeder also said this breed have brains too large for their skulls which puts pressure on their spinal cord, caused by “poor breeding”.
A bulldog breeder told us that that British bulldogs are often bred for their colour at the expense of their health, and in as little as six weeks or months the puppy will have died or have “loads of health issues” and the breeder “doesn’t want to know”. She admitted that some need to have their tails amputated due to being too short and “tight” and that due to how poorly regulated the industry is, breeders can claim dogs have a gold health certificate when no health checks have been undertaken and naïve buyers will never know. Because of the expensive health issues bulldogs often develop, she recommended putting money aside for their care, because insurance is so expensive, if you can get it at all, and to buy medicine meant for humans rather than taking these dogs to the vet because of how expensive veterinary treatment will become.
One breeder told our supporter that many people choose to breed dogs so they can pay for “next year’s holiday” with little regard for their welfare – which sums up the selfishness of this industry. Dogs have their freedom taken away, spend their lives in horrific pain, barely able to breathe, and are forced into painful pregnancies repeatedly, all so humans can make money from them.
2. Admission of ‘Gross’ Extraction of Sperm from Dogs Used for Breeding
One bulldog breeder told our supporter that, while they don’t do it themselves, it’s common in the industry for breeders to extract sperm from males (masturbate them) before inserting it with a tube into the female (forced manual impregnation). This process is done when the female dog becomes too stressed, when forced to mate with a male. The same breeder told us that puppies are often taken from their mother and kept ‘in a box’ then fed every few hours.
3. Breeders Force Dogs into Caesareans
The French bulldog, pug, and British bulldog breeders told us that, on many occasions, these dogs need caesareans because their heads are too large to travel through the birth canal and be born naturally.
A caesarean is a major operation for any species. Female French bulldogs, who have already gone through forced pregnancy, must then undergo a major operation – often repeatedly until their little bodies give up. The fact that caesareans are necessary is further proof of just how unnatural these dog breeds are.
4. Dogs Are Inbred
According to a pug breeder and a King Charles spaniel breeder, inbreeding is practised in the industry. Some breeders breed fathers and daughters, or grandfathers and granddaughters, for example. Inbreeding can have a significant impact on a dogs’ health. The pug breeder told us that pugs can’t stand the heat due to their difficulty breathing, and that larger pugs suffer in particular. This breeder also said that pugs can suffer from twisted spines, which is something the Kennel Club doesn’t control for and that you can never guarantee a dog will be healthy. Despite this, the breeder said she doesn’t insure her dogs, give them preventative treatment for fleas, or vaccinate them annually, to save money.
Crufts Promotes Cruel Breeds
The RSPCA has publicly condemned Crufts, and the BBC stopped airing it in 2008 due to concerns about the health of dogs forced to compete.
Flat-faced dogs, like pugs, French Bulldogs, Pekingese, and Shih Tzu’s are barely able to breathe, let alone run around and chase a ball, due to their drastically short airways. Some, like Cavalier King Charles spaniels, have been bred to have brains too big for their skulls. This can cause them to yelp in pain suddenly and obsessively scratch themselves. One breeder told us that the Kennel Club will register litters of puppies of these breeds whose parents haven’t been health tested and that this is not mandatory, because it profits from every registered dog, and it doesn’t want to lose money.
Flat-faced dogs aren’t the only ones who suffer. Whippets, 2025’s winning breed, often suffer from eye, heart, and immune system problems due to their breeding.
All ‘designer dogs’ are unnatural and pay the price with their health. Yet they continue to be bred and paraded at Crufts.
No Such Thing as Ethical Breeding
Animals are individuals. They are someone, not something. Humans have no right to breed them for profit.
What’s more, the UK is in a rescue crisis – with thousands of dogs and cats being abandoned each year. People all over the country are realising that they are unable to, or no longer want to, take care of their canine companions.
Crufts is exacerbating the problem. People see what they perceive to be ‘cute’ dogs on TV and buy them without realising how much time, care, and money it takes to be an animal guardian.
Ironically, one Cavalier King Charles spaniel breeder we spoke to told us that he and his wife also rehome dogs of this breed who have been imported from puppy farms in Ireland or who need homes due to their humans passing away. He said that these dogs are usually suitable for rehoming and you can adopt one for free, rather than paying £2-3000 for a puppy who they have bred. The irony of continuing to churn out litters of puppies whilst the victims of the dog breeding industry are in his home highlights that breeding is a business. Even if you want a specific breed of dog, you will find them in desperate need of rescue.
Adopt, Don’t Shop!
If you have done your research and are certain you are prepared to commit to a dog for their entire life, you should always adopt one from a shelter. Find out more in our living with companion animals guide:
Tell Channel 4 to Stop Airing Crufts
You can also take action for dogs by calling on Channel 4 to do the right thing and stop airing Crufts:
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