Is Crufts doing enough to keep competing dogs safe?

Sharing a video with her hundreds of thousands of social media followers, dog trainer and television presenter Victoria Stilwell said she could "no longer support Crufts" until extensive changes were made to improve dog welfare at the show.

The world-famous dog show continues at Birmingham's NEC with more than 18,600 animals involved and millions watching extensive television coverage.

"But I don't think they realise that what they're watching has such a deep, dark underbelly," claimed Stilwell, who said she had previously observed, and reported, abusive handling by owners at the show.

The Royal Kennel Club, which organises the show, declined to comment on the allegations put to it.

The presenter, best known for creating and starring in the series It's Me or the Dog, admitted she was "not a great fan of dog shows".

She promoted positive reinforcement training, and said she had taken part in the show for nearly 20 years, but felt it was now "time to speak out".

"I've had a booth there with my trainers giving out training advice," she said.

"So it's a really great place to connect with people to educate people, to have fun, to socialise, to be with your friends.

"Crufts has been a huge part of my life," she said.

But this year she decided to stay away, saying she had witnessed "so many incidents of poor handling, mishandling and abusive handling".

Her sentiments are echoed by Hero Paws - a charity providing support to retired military and police dogs, which has also decided not to take part in this year's show.

"The decision had not been made lightly", it said, but came from "longstanding and increasing concerns around canine welfare, ethical practice, and public trust - values that sit at the very heart of who we are".

The charity said that Stilwell's comments "echoed what many of us working hands-on with dogs have witnessed for years".

These included:

• Poor handling, including repeated incidents of rough, inappropriate, or distressing handling both in and out of the ring
• A lack of focus on behaviour and emotional wellbeing, with presentation often prioritised over the dog's mental state
• Unhealthy breeding standards, where exaggerated physical traits are rewarded despite being linked to lifelong pain, breathing difficulties, and reduced quality of life
• A system resistant to change, where once you truly understand behaviour and welfare, you cannot unsee what the dogs are enduring

The show glamourises "deeply unethical breeding practices to the UK public", said People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), which staged a protest outside the show.

The club's "breed standards" – according to which dogs at Crufts are judged – call for animals to be bred for certain looks, to the detriment of their health and well-being, it added.

Responding to the questions raised on social media, the British College of Canine Studies said the conversation around canine welfare deserved "nuance, not outrage".

A 2008 documentary exposing health problems in some pedigree dogs led to the BBC cancelling its coverage of the show.

But since then the Kennel Club had introduced revised breed standards, mandatory health checks and greater transparency around breeding ethics, it said.

Stilwell's criticism "carries weight, particularly when it follows years of participation", it posted on social media.

"Our position is simple," it added.

"Welfare (including handling) must come before aesthetics. Function must come before exaggeration. Education must underpin breeding decisions. Reform is more powerful than polarisation.

"Crufts can and should be both a celebration of dogs and a platform for continued welfare improvement," it said.

"The conversation should not be about cancelling events but about raising standards."

One professional who is attending the competition this year, Yaz Porritt, said there had been some changes implemented by the Kennel Club, to increase dog welfare but they did not go far enough.

She said she felt "conflicted" attending the show, but was there to "support the businesses that I work with".

Porritt, who runs a specialist canine pain management clinic, Yorkshire Pooches Therapies, based in West Yorkshire, said dog welfare "had to be built into the infrastructure of the show".

Some of the unacceptable behaviours by owners in the show ring included using "aversive handling" to "stack" them - adjusting their back limbs before judging - and poor lead handling.

"The amount of dogs I see lame in the ring is inexcusable," she said.

There had been a change to the layout of the show this year, "the gangways between the stalls are a lot wider, it doesn't feel as condensed," she said.

"Crufts have also rolled out a health assessment tool, which was a stride in the right direction.

"But I think we need to remember that the dogs that are attending have to have suitable temperaments, to deal with such a busy environment."

One "actively distressed" animal had been left alone without water, although a judge and steward had quickly stepped in to find its owner, once it was flagged to them.

"There needs to be further support and training to empower staff in identifying these things," she said.

"I want to celebrate the people who come and they set up camp around their dog -and it's literally all about the dog - but we also need to have a very honest conversation about the people who sadly are here for their own egos.

"So this is why it's important that people like myself and fellow ethical professionals speak out."

She added that it was important to have a "strong" Kennel Club, and was working with Stilwell and the organisation on some ideas about welfare.

"We need to support them and guide them in the right direction to challenge aversive handling, so that backyard breeders basically don't fill the gaps with people that are wanting puppies," she said.

"I fully support Victoria in not attending because there's only so much the ethical professionals can see abusive handling en masse."

"Continual conversations are being had with Crufts who have been open to feedback and implemented change and we look forward to continual progress in the right direction."

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