PETA has requested USA Network not to air Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show this February despite of its tradition to air the show every February. Daphna Nachminovitch, the Vice President of PETA, says in the letter to the president of USA Network:

"Since dog breeders routinely use incestuous inbreeding and genetic manipulation to achieve a certain “desired” trait like a slanted back or a concertina face, it’s not surprising that as many as one in four purebred dogs is plagued with a serious genetic problem."

She applauds the British Broadcasting Company (BBC), which has recently announced that it will no longer televise Britain’s Crufts Dog Show. BBC decided to go with this decison because of the British Kennel Club’s refusal to exclude from the dog show’s main competitions at least 12 breeds such as the Basset Hound, Mastiff, Rottweiler, and the German Shepherd. These breeds are classified as “at risk” by the British Kennel Club itself for dangerous, often painful physical conditions attributed to overbreeding according to PETA. PETA claims that these dogs are bred purely for looks and not for temperament and good health. Daphna Nachminovitch also adds that "the American Kennel Club (AKC), has done nothing to help reduce the physical problems that plague “purebreds,” despite the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) public release of its new policy against cropping the ears and docking the tails of dogs for cosmetic purposes." As a result, she is asking the president of USA Network to follow the footsteps of BBC and pressure AKC to change their rules and standards. Here is the link to the full letter: http://blog.peta.org/archives/usa_letter.pdf

What are your thoughts on this subject and do you think PETA is going to the extreme? Also, are you going to be watching the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show this year? Let us know in the comments.