Pedigree pulls Crufts dog show support

Published: Oct. 25, 2008 at 4:10 PM

BIRMINGHAM, England, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- The owner of the Pedigree pet food company says the company has withdrawn its sponsorship of the Crufts dog show in Britain after 44 years of support.

A statement from Pedigree's parent company, Mars UK, said Pedigree would no longer offer nearly $2.4 million in funding to the annual dog show, whose future is now in doubt amidst allegations of animal mistreatment, The Times of London reported Saturday.

"After careful consideration, Pedigree has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Crufts," the company said. "The Pedigree brand has evolved and we are prioritizing initiatives that support the broadest possible community of dog owners such as our successful program the Pedigree Adoption Drive, and our online service for breeders, pedigreedirect.co.uk."

The Times said the Kennel Club, the organization that holds the Crufts event, has been accused of using breeding techniques that bring about disease and deformities in animals.

The National Exhibition Center event faced related allegations of promoting such deformities through the annual competition, The Times said.

© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Order reprints



Additional News Stories
UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News (14 min)
Parents object to haircut punishment (22 min)
October budget deficit is $176.3 billion (22 min)
Officer hit by golf cart during parade (25 min)
Ex-Neb. RB Collins gets life for murder (30 min)
Facebook post clears robbery suspect (36 min)
UPI NewsTrack Sports (43 min)
fark
Elmo vs Spiderman vs Chewbacca: LA's superhero turf wars heat up again
John King to replace Lou Dobbs, says CNN. Dobbs' wife reportedly pleased
Guy's cell phone minutes run out, so he calls 911 five times to see if anyone will have sex with...
*POP*
Woman wins $1M McDonalds Monopoly prize. Plans to use winnings on new house, car, angioplasty
You went full North by Northwest, dude. Never go full North by Northwest