Controversy Over BBC's Purebred Dog Breeding Documentary
Editor’s Note: We understand that Pedigree Dogs Exposed may be slated to run on BBC America later this year; we’ll be watching for it and will announce the date on thebark.com when it’s confirmed. And in July 2009, the RSPCA bestowed their highest accolade, The Richard Martin Award, on Jemima Harrison for her work on this groundbreaking and influential documentary. It is the first time the award has been given to a filmmaker.
UPDATE: Pedigree Dogs Exposed premieres Thursday, December 10, 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on BBC America.
MORE: A report recommending new standards of pedigree dog health in the UK to be released following an independent inquiry. Read more about it here.
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This article first appeared in The Bark, Issue 56, Sep/Oct 2009, published as The Cost of Perfection.
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"In Sweden, if anything goes wrong with the health of a pup in the first three years, the breeder is financially responsible." - Love this! Now, how do we get this done in the US?
I might note that the AKC in the United States is NOT a lot different than the English Kennel Club.
For example:
"...on the subject of inbreeding, he said, “I don’t want a bunch of scientists telling me they know more about it.” When pressed on the ethics of mother-to-son matings, he defended it and said it “depended on the individual mother and son.”
Does the AKC allow the same thing to occur? Based on my reading the answer is yes. So, it appears there is a lot of "house cleaning" that needs to occur on this side of the Atlantic too.
What does the AKC do in the United States?
My understanding is that it is NOT MUCH DIFFERENT than in England.
Just disgraceful. The dogs, the dogs - think about the dogs. They are what counts.
It's about time. I have worked with dogs for 20 years and I have been saying these things for a very long time. It is nice to have science validate what I was seeing. It is very sad that it is as bad as I thought. I hope this forces a change in all breed & kennel clubs. Here in the US it is a very big problem, with little will to change. Cross your paws this documentary with start the ball rolling in a better direction!
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