Rehome a rescue, Ant

HOW disappointed I was to see Ant McPartlin cuddling his two Maltipoo puppies, which are referred to as £1,000 ‘ designer dogs’. They are mongrels, a cross between a Maltese and a toy or miniature poodle. There are lovely animals at every dog rescue centre that need a home and they cost much less than £1,000.

Breeders spend years and thousands of pounds perfecting a breed to Kennel Club standards and then someone with the best of intentions crosses a Labrador with a poodle creating a Labradoodle, which has opened up a Pandora’s Box of crosses.

Don’t the so-called designer dog breeders realise that puppies can end up with crippling genetic faults inherited from both parents? Puggles may look cute, but their parents are a beagle, which is a hunting dog, and a pug, which is a lap dog, so you end up with a confused animal not knowing its role in life.

I wish celebrities would not start these stupid trends, which only end up with dogs suffering. Mrs P. WHITE, Cheltenham, Gloucs.