Pedigree People?

It's a common thing to find myself asking, "What is the matter with people?" Recently, after seeing the documentary by Jemima Harrison, Pedigree Dogs Exposed the rate at which I ask the question has increased significantly.


Sidenote: For anyone interested but unable to watch the pain and suffering of these animals, they can view the written précis here. I would also like to make it clear that "show-dog breeder" is a generalisation and that there are individual breeders that care very much for the health of their animals and the direction the breed is heading.


It seems that "show-dog" breeders (note the qualification as there is a great difference between those who breed for purported aesthetic purpose and those that breed working dogs) have grown blind to the disfigurement they breed into their dogs, deaf to their cries of pain, and whether they originally had any compassion or empathy with/for the animals is always up for debate.

Some of the breed differences that can be seen from the mid 1800's to their contemporary counterparts. The first is a comparison of a Bull Terrier.




Seeing all the health problems, pain, physical disfigurement, neurological deficits, and who knows what psychological issues (just as well dogs don't possess the ability to express themselves with the spoken word) caused by the depletion of the gene pool due to inbreeding, the only conclusion I can reach is that the human gene pool has reached the critical levels of the 'pedigree' dog. As a result, they have lost the ability to process simple problems, foresee consequences of actions, and employ reasoning and logic, and have strengthened the ability to disregard the pain of another being (one they claim to care deeply for).

I admire people and organisations like Jemima Harrision (and the BBC who have stood by her by refusing to air the Crufts Show), Margaret Carter, Caroline Fowler, Pedigree Petfoods (who withdrew their sponsorship from Crufts) and others like them who have spoken out- on occasion to their detriment- in order to improve the quality of life for these animals.

The Kennel Club, Crufts and all their supporters should be condemned; including and perhaps most of all the president of the British Veterinary Association Nick Blayney who agreed with the Kennel Club about the state of the 'pedigree' - one would think that Mr. Blayney has the training to know better.