WHIPPET WHISKED AWAY TO SAFETY
PROTESTER STORMS RING AS SCOTS CANINE WINS TOP DOG AT CRUFTS
CRUFTS was at the centre of a security scare last night after a protester stormed the ring just moments after a Scots canine was named top dog.
Tease, a whippet from Edinburgh, was named Best In Show.
But seconds later – as she was placed next to the trophy – her shocked owner, Yvette Short, acted quickly to whip her to safety as a male intruder ran past.
The closing moments of Crufts at Birmingham NEC, which aired live on Channel 4, had to be cut short as he was wrestled to the ground.
It later emerged the man was from animal activist group, Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).
His placard read:
“Crufts: Canine Eugenics,” and the group said it wanted to draw attention to what it believes is the plight of dogs bred by humans to have unnatural, exaggerated features.
Peta director Elisa Allen said: “Crufts glorifies pedigree fetishists’ twisted pursuit of the ‘perfect’ dog. There’s nothing natural about breeding dogs with extreme and debilitating physical traits, and Peta urges everyone to stay away from this cruel beauty pageant.”
Two-and-a-half-year-old Tease – whose official Kennel Club name is CH Collooney Tartan Tease-jw – had strong competition, as nearly 21,000 dogs competed over four days for just one of seven places in the Crufts final.
The Reserve Best In Show went to Kanix Chilli, a Pointer gundog owned by Miss H Blackburn-bennett.
Dog-lovers online last night praised Ms Short for her quick-thinking as she lifted Tease up into the safety of her arms.
One viewer Tweeted: “When the winner of Best In Show thought her dog was in danger, she grabbed her as fast as anything. That’s love.”
Tease won the Hound Group title on Friday, which qualified her for a place in the Best In Show final last night. Ms Short said: “Tease is a dream to live with, and I trust her 100 per cent. It was nervewracking in the ring, but wonderful.”
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club secretary, said: Tease is such an excellent dog that clearly has a great relationship with her owner, and is at home in the show ring.”
Crufts organisers, the Kennel Club, said: “It appears protesters from Peta gained unauthorised access to the ring in the main arena at Crufts, and in doing so scared the dogs and put the safety of both dogs and people at risk in a hugely irresponsible way.
“We, along with the NEC Group (responsible for security) will be reviewing what happened as a matter of urgency.”