Animal charities complained to Channel 4 after it was discovered that the winner of the Crufts Best in Show award had been convicted of animal cruelty, saying the winning dog is an “extreme” breed that has had a “life 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 called for extreme examples of breeds that will no longer be eligible for prizes and a full investigation into people competing at Crufts. Peta has asked that Channel 4 take the program off the air. The RSPCA has called for dog shows to stop featuring animals that have extreme features such as flat faces, wrinkled skin, short or missing tails and protruding eyeballs.
This can leave dogs at high risk for major wellness problems, such as not being able to breathe, blink, sleep, play, or exercise normally; or painful conditions of the eyes, spine, skin or teeth.
The BBC stopped broadcasting Crufts in 2008 following an outcry over extreme race held 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 ever since.
In 2001 it was discovered that Cox had a spaniel with a chronically infected ear that eventually had to be surgically removed. A court was told that when an inspector visited the Somerset-based kennel he found dogs covered in dirt and a strong stench of dog droppings and overflowing drains.
The Royal Kennel Club confirmed the conviction but said it was an “isolated incident which occurred 25 years ago”, adding that Cox has had an “impeccable record in the 25 years since” and has made a “significant positive contribution to the world of dogs”.
Lauren Bennett, RSPCA dog welfare expert, said of the winning dog: “If you compare it to a picture of the same breed from 1900, you can see how extreme its characteristics have become.”
He added that the breed often suffers from entropion and ectropion, terms given to describe eyelids that turn inward or droop. Both can cause long-term pain and irritation and, if left untreated, permanent vision damage. The breeds also have long backs and short legs, which increases the risk of developing spinal problems.
Bennett said that when extreme breeds are “celebrated by winning rosettes at the world’s largest dog show, characteristics are normalized and heightened that severely impact their well-being and can cause them a lifetime of pain.”
Crufts has long faced controversy over giving awards to extreme breeds. In 2024, a bulldog with “no discernible nostrils” won a prize at the show, despite fears that it could not breathe properly. In 2016, a “deformed” German shepherd with a bowed back and a painful-looking limp won best in show.
Peta senior campaigns director Kate Werner wrote to Channel 4 asking the broadcaster to take Crufts off the air. She said: “There appears to be no robust system to ensure that people with a history of animal cruelty are prevented from being celebrated at the dog show…dogs bred for profit and applause often suffer silently, alone and in pain, and shows like Crufts glorify this.
“Any act of animal cruelty should end a person’s relationship with animals for life.”
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 King Charles won first place in the toy group. Norway has banned their breeding because they are prized for their small skulls. This means that up to 95% of the population is affected by a serious neurological disease, chiari malformation, a painful congenital disease caused by a skull that is too small for the brain.
A Channel 4 spokesperson said: “Channel 4 has no influence over the judges in any category of the competition. A key part of our coverage reflects the ongoing debate and continuing developments relating to dog welfare.”
The Kennel Club said: “All registered pedigree breeds are eligible to enter Crufts, and for certain breeds there are health requirements for entry. These requirements are reviewed regularly and will continue to be in the future.
“We also have a health standard that establishes recommended evidence-based health tests for each breed.”
Cox has been contacted for comment.
