LONDON – Crufts has played down reports that several more dogs were suspected of being poisoned at the UK dog show, after the death of a prize-winning Irish Setter sent shockwaves through the breeding world.
An investigation was launched after the owners of Thendara Satisfaction, or Jagger, claimed he was fed poisoned beef at the show, a British institution that has run since 1891 and that concluded on Sunday.
Claims that as many as five more dogs were suspected of being poisoned at Crufts were splashed across the front pages of the Tuesday editions of British newspapers.
“We must stress that these are at this stage just rumours,” a Crufts spokeswoman said, adding that no vets at the event had raised concerns and no official complaints received from owners.
“There are any number of reasons why a dog may display symptoms such as sickness … As with any international competition rumours of sabotage do occasionally surface.”
The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that a West Highland white terrier, an Afghan hound and a Shih Tzu became ill after the four-day event in the English city of Birmingham.
Owner Mylee Thomas said her multi-award winning Shetland sheepdog Myter Eye to Eye was poisoned along with another top dog moments before they were due to enter the competition ring.
“When I got back from the loo she had been violently sick in her cage. I got her out and she carried on being sick,” MS Thomas told newspaper the Daily Telegraph.
