Wolfhounds in "Eastenders"

[Boghound]

We have learnt that from September 2004 EastEnders (a popular UK soap opera set in the East End of London) is to feature an Irish wolfhound. (See http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders//news/news_content/news_20040809_n3.shtml for more information.) We believe that this could have a very detrimental effect on the welfare of the breed in the UK. The Irish Wolfhound Club has been writing to the BBC for over a month, but although they say their comments will be taken into account they are not prepared to drop the dog from the show.

Irish wolfhounds are not well suited to city living, have a relatively short lifespan, represent a heavy financial commitment and need a large amount space and time. Effectively marketing the breed to people who have no experience or knowledge may cause suffering for years to come by stimulating an increased demand for wolfhound puppies, leading to puppy farming, dog theft, unsuitable homes, and ultimately, a re-homing crisis for the breed.

We have set up an online petition asking the writers and producers of EastEnders to reconsider their decision. If you share our concerns, please take a moment to sign our petition on http://www.irishwolfhoundpetition.co.uk

Please forward this email to as many people as you can. Time is short, so don't delay. We plan to write to the BBC with the petition in early September and will announce their response on the petition site, so check back for a progress report.

Thank you for your time

[goatlady]

....errr just checked the date.......no its not April 1st?
Do you really believe that this will make much difference to the marketing of an animal?? Surely the breeders hold sway over who and where the pets are sold too, or the rescue centres as to who adopts a large dog like this. Just because theyre on TV doesnt mean everyone will want one, this is typical nanny state type paranoia that I left the UK to avoid.
And after all, if the breeders are prepared to rake in the profits and just sell them to anyone then thats where the fault lies surely?
sorry to rant but is this the place for such an issue anyway? Try "chiensderace.com" et al. where incidentally there are plenty of useful things to do to help dogs in France!