The Trouble With TV Vet Advice

​This article refers to a segment originally broadcast on This Morning (ITV). All video content remains the property of ITV plc and is referenced here for the purposes of commentary and critique.

Why worst-case stories are not the full picture

If you’ve watched this morning’s segment on This Morning, you’ll have noticed the familiar pattern. As we edge closer to Crufts in March, pedigree dogs, and brachycephalic breeds in particular, once again become easy targets. This happens every year without fail.

I’ll be honest, I found Dr Scott’s contribution deeply frustrating. I certainly wouldn’t allow him anywhere near my dogs. Vets often forget that they see the worst cases of every breed, not the healthy majority quietly living normal lives. The more popular a breed is, the more examples will pass through a veterinary practice. That does not mean the breed itself is inherently broken, it means the sample is skewed. If illness statistics were properly balanced against breed popularity and responsible ownership, the picture would look very different.

Bad Blanket Advice

​What concerned me most was the blanket advice that people should rescue rather than buy from breeders. I understand the sentiment, especially given the segment’s link with the Edward Foundation, but the logic simply doesn’t hold. If a breed is genuinely as difficult, fragile and high-risk as was implied, why would a rescue placement be more appropriate than sourcing a puppy from a reputable, health-focused breeder? Rescue dogs deserve knowledgeable, prepared homes, not to be positioned as a default alternative to ethical breeding.

The example dog, Dakota, was clearly the result of poor breeding choices and was not a traditional breed-standard colour. That is not preservation breeding. That is exploitation. Someone profited from her, then discarded her. These people are not passionate about Bulldogs, yet responsible breeders are repeatedly tarred with the same brush, which is both unfair and damaging.

Dr Scott did at least reference BOAS testing, and on that point we do agree. This is why BOAS grading is a key filter in my new dog directory, and why I actively encourage puppy buyers to check not just parents, but ideally grandparents too. However, access remains a real issue. There are still very few vets properly trained to carry out grading, and if wider participation is genuinely the goal, the system needs to be far more accessible.
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Responsible breeding, informed ownership and honest education are the way forward. Sensationalised soundbites, especially at Crufts season, help no one, least of all the dogs.