The BBC's award-winning documentary Pedigree Dogs Exposed was first shown on the BBC 10 years ago Sunday. Researched, written and produced by Jemima Harrison, it showed what some folks us in the world of dogs had been talking about for some time: that pedigree dogs were suffering, deformed, diseased, and dysfunctional due to exaggerations by show dog breeders, and failed 19th eugenics theories affirmatively embraced by the Kennel Clubs.
Over on her blog Jemima tells us what good has come since, while unblinkingly detailing what still needs to be done.
Despite the KC's literature claiming that the primary objective of the Kennel Club was 'to promote in every way, the general improvement of dogs', it had actually overseen a criminal genetic neglect of man's best friend.
It was the Kennel Club that had endorsed the breed standards, that sanctioned the dog shows, approved the judges, green-lighted inbreeding, refused to mandate health checks and had continued to register puppy farm dogs.
It had done next to nothing because the problem was - and remains - that the people who run the Kennel Club are part of the whole self-serving system. Group-think had persuaded them that it was OK... convinced them that a show-ring rosette was prima facie evidence that they were doing something good for dogs.
ABC television did a much-shorter US version of the story for Nightline.
So what's next? Jemima notes that:
October 1st sees the introduction in the UK has of legislation that makes it a criminal offence to breed from a dog "if it can reasonably be expected, on the basis of its genotype, phenotype or state of health that breeding from it could have a detrimental effect on its health or welfare or the health or welfare of its offspring." The proof of this will be in the pudding but my hope is that a few high profile cases will act as warning shots over breeders' bows. There are similar laws now being exacted in Europe/Scandinavia, too.
I was unaware of this development until I read Jemima's blog; Britain seems to be on the verge of implementing some version of the "Torture Breeding" law other countries are starting to salute. Along with ban on breeding certain kinds of brachycephalic breeds to current show standards, I hope they will simply outlaw the breeding of certain dogs, such as the Lundehund, within a closed registry.
A deep salute to Jemima for all she has done to improve the lot of dogs in the UK and around the world. You do not get thanks, or make money for such work, but in the end you may leave the world a little bit better than when you entered it. Is that supposed to be the work of humans? I think it is.
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