From 'poisoning plots' to tail dockings - six scandals from Crufts

10 March 2024 , 08:00

947     0

Irish Setter Jagger, pictured with handler Dee, was just three when he died (Image: Leicester Mercury)

Crufts features an estimated 28,000 dogs, with the Best in Breed titleholders whittled down to seven group winners before one is crowned the coveted Best in Show. But while the contest is a celebration of all things canine it has also seen its fair share of controversy and scandal over the years...

The 'murder plot'

One of the most high-profile Crufts controversies came in 2015 when Irish Setter Jagger, who had finished runner up in his Best Of Breed competition, collapsed and died shortly after returning home from the event. Had the three year old dog been poisoned by a jealous rival at the contest? Thankfully for show organisers but making no difference to the poor pooch, it turned out he had ingested the fatal dose, hidden in beef cubes, back on home soil in Belgium.

The international dog show attracts top breeds from around the world (Getty Images)

Tail docking controversy

The 1990s saw show organisers The Kennel Club criticised for refusing to mark down dogs with docked tails. Experts had branded the practice, which saw part or the whole of the canines tails removed to conform to a breed's standards, cruel and unnecessary. The following decade saw dogs with docked tails no longer allowed to be shown at Crufts.

Furious chimp launches bottle at girl filming him leaving her bleeding at zoo

Six winners disqualified

Introducing mandatory health inspections by two independent vets in 2012 meant six Best in Breed winners were disqualified that year after failing checks post-victory, meaning they couldn't compete for Best in Group and the overall title. The regulations were brought in by The Kennel Club following claims dogs bred for shows were suffering from a high level of genetic illness.

The puppy farmer judge

In 2022 Crufts judge Gareth Lawler was caught making a fortune from an illegal puppy farm. Lawler, who had netted £153,000 from breeding 27 puppy litters of eight different breeds including Cocker Spaniels and Longhaired Dachshunds, was ordered to repay £78,000 or face jail time. The judge, from Hendy, Carmarthenshire, had kept the animals in "poor conditions" in his four-year money-making operation.

Rebecca apologised for the way she handled show champion Knopa (PA)

Handler accused of cruelty

The handler of Best in Show winner Knopa faced a storm of protest for picking up the dog by its neck and tail in 2015. Rebecca Cross later apologised for the way she had lifted the five-year-old Scottish Terrier onto the podium, saying it was "just habit". A petition signed by 100,000 people called for her to be stripped of her title but The Kennel Club insisted it would not be fair on the victorious dog.

RSPCA shuns contest

The UK's leading animal charity turned its back on Crufts in 2008 after voicing concerns about its practices. The RSPCA cancelled plans to have a stand at the show, saying the judging criteria for breed standards encouraged both the breeding of disabled and deformed dogs and the inbreeding of closely related canines.

Watch Crufts on Channel 4, including the Best in Show live from 7pm-9pm on Sunday

Vikki White