Animal charities have complained to Channel 4 after the winner of Crufts best in show was found to have been convicted of animal cruelty, and are calling for 'extreme' breeds to no longer be eligible for prizes. Lee Cox and his four-year-old Clumber spaniel Bruin won best in show at the prestigious dog competition, but it later emerged that Cox had a previous conviction for animal cruelty.
The RSPCA and Peta have asked for full vetting of competitors and for extreme examples of breeds to be disqualified. Peta has also asked Channel 4 to pull the show from air. The RSPCA has called for the dog show to stop featuring animals with extreme features such as flat faces, wrinkly skin, short or missing tails, and protruding eyeballs, which can cause significant welfare problems.
Cox was found in 2001 to have kept a spaniel with a chronically infected ear that eventually had to be surgically removed. A court was told that when an inspector visited his Somerset-based kennel, he encountered dogs covered in dirt and a strong stench from dog waste and overflowing drains. The Royal Kennel Club confirmed the conviction but described it as an 'isolated incident 25 years ago'.
Lauren Bennett, a dog welfare expert at the RSPCA, said the winning breed often suffers from entropion and ectropion, which can cause long-term pain and sight damage. She added that when extreme breeds are 'celebrated by winning rosettes at the largest dog show in the world, it normalises and glamourises features which severely impact their welfare'. Crufts has long faced controversy, including a French bulldog with 'no discernible nostrils' winning a prize in 2024.
Peta's senior campaigns manager, Kate Werner, wrote to Channel 4 saying 'there appears to be no robust system in place to ensure that individuals with histories of animal cruelty are prevented from being celebrated'. She added that 'any act of cruelty to animals should end a person's involvement with animals for life'. The BBC stopped showing Crufts in 2008 over similar concerns. Channel 4 said it 'does not have any influence over the judging' and that its coverage reflects ongoing debate about dog welfare.
