An episode from the BBC Reveals series:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=44215931
The documentary implicates the Kennel Club in the suffering of thousands of dogs for the purposes of closed-minded "traditions", breed standards that have really only existed since the Victorian eugenics craze. This video caused a great upset in Britain and prompted the RSPCA to withdraw its support of, and the BBC to refuse to air, the Crufts dog show. The outrage and negative media attention has forced the KC to reconsider its practices, and headway is (slowly) being made towards breeding healthy dogs.
The US and the AKC, characteristically, have ignored the matter and chosen to continue breeding to unreasonable standards. At the same time, seriously problematic breeds are growing in popularity--of the top ten breeds in the U.S., half of those are dogs that have extremely serious, well-known, life-threatening genetic problems.
The film is heart-wrenching. The ways in which some of these obviously well-loved animals suffer are hard to watch: the Cavalier writhing and screaming in agony, the boxer confused and exhausted by his seizures, the owners doting, holding, soothing. I couldn't watch my companion animals go through that.
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