Crufts winner’s animal cruelty conviction prompts complaints to Channel 4

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 said the winning dog is an “extreme” breed that has had a “lifetime of suffering”.After Lee Cox and his four-year-old Clumber spaniel Bruin won best in show at the prestigious dog competition, it emerged that Cox had a previous conviction for animal cruelty.The RSPCA and Peta have asked for extreme examples of breeds to no longer be eligible for prizes, and for full vetting for people who compete at Crufts. Peta has asked for Channel 4 to pull the show from air. The RSPCA has called for the dog show to stop featuring animals that have extreme features such as flat faces, wrinkly skin, short or missing tails, and protruding eyeballs.These can leave dogs at high risk of significant welfare problems, such as being unable to breathe, blink, sleep, play or exercise normally; or painful eye, spinal, skin or dental conditions.The BBC stopped showing Crufts in 2008 after outcry over the extreme breeds celebrated by the competition, and the show was not broadcast on television the following year. Channel 4 picked it up in 2010 and has been televising it since.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 when an inspector visited the Somerset-based kennel, he encountered dogs covered in dirt and a strong stench from dog waste and overflowing drains.An inspector encountered dogs covered in dirt and a strong stench from dog waste and overflowing drains at Cox’s kennel in 2001. Photograph: Hannah McKay/ReutersThe Royal Kennel Club confirmed the conviction but said it was an “isolated incident 25 years ago”, adding Cox had an “unblemished record in the 25 years since” and had made a “significant positive contribution to the world of dogs”.Lauren Bennett, a dog welfare expert at the RSPCA, said of the winning dog: “If you compare him to an image of the same breed from 1900, you can see just how extreme his features have become.”She said the breed often suffered from entropion and ectropion, the terms given to describe eyelids that either turn inwards or droop. Both can cause long-term pain and irritation and if left untreated, permanent sight damage. The breeds also have a long back and short legs, increasing the risk of developing spinal problems.Bennett said when extreme breeds were “celebrated by winning rosettes at the largest dog show in the world, it normalises and glamourises features which severely impact their welfare and can cause them a lifetime of pain”.Crufts has long faced controversy over awarding prizes to extreme breeds. In 2024, a bulldog with “no discernible nostrils” won a prize at the show, despite fears it was unable to breathe properly. In 2016, a “deformed” German shepherd with a sloping back and painful-looking limp won best in show.Peta’s senior campaigns manager, Kate Werner, has written to Channel 4 asking the broadcaster to pull Crufts from air. She said: “There appears to be no robust system in place to ensure that individuals with histories of animal cruelty are prevented from being celebrated at the dog show … dogs bred for profit and applause often suffer in silence, alone and in pain, and shows like Crufts glorify it.“Any act of cruelty to animals should end a person’s involvement with animals for life.”Back in 2008, the BBC called for breeds such as the cavalier king charles spaniel to be banned from Crufts as a condition of keeping the competition on air. The Kennel Club declined, and this year a king charles won the top spot in the toy group. Norway has banned their breeding, as up to 95% of the population are affected by a severe neurological condition called chiari-like malformation, a painful congenital condition caused by their skull being too small for their brain.A spokesperson for Channel 4 said: “Channel 4 does not have any influence over the judging in any category of the competition. A key part of our coverage reflects the ongoing debate and continuing developments regarding dog welfare.”The Kennel Club said: “All registered pedigree breeds are eligible to take part in Crufts, and for certain breeds health entry requirements are in place. These requirements are regularly reviewed and will continue to be in the future. We also have a health standard which sets out evidence-based recommended health testing for each breed.”Cox has been contacted for comment.