When the real Casualty is yet again the DOG:

BBC1 TV programme Casualty, broadcast at 9pm on Saturday 15th March was a sickening watch for many unfortunate enough to view it.

This weeks fifty minute long episode entitled ‘Diamond Dogs’ (series 22) tried to depict thugs with a ‘fighting dog’, a dog which firstly attacks thugs mother who ends up in casualty, the dog escapes and then seriously attacks two police officers on the beat, the dog then amazingly appears back at the house where the first attack took place, thug is there back from hospital and takes a shot gun out of the boot of his car to kill dog.

If the researchers had done their homework they would have discovered that firstly ‘fighting dogs’ are only able to be abused in such an inhumane and horrific way because they are by nature very good with people – a characteristics which is needed in order for the barbarians to handle a dog during the gruesome dog fight. ‘Fighting dogs’ are not people aggressive and that’s a FACT.

In the real world, if someone is seriously attacked by a dog on the loose or even looked at wrongly by a bull breed, the Police would have arrived en masse and shot the dog dead, end of story.

Dogs which are owned by thugs and used for illegal dog fights are victims – not out of control machines out to hurt people, it’s the dog that has been bred, abused and tortured by humans for their SICK ENTERTAINMENT, so why does the BBC portray an abused dog in such an appalling manner to make it out as public enemy number one?

With hundreds of family pets held as ‘pit bull types’ (any dog which has a certain ‘look’) under the draconian Dangerous Dogs Act legislation, the BBC’s programme is not only inaccurate but seriously hurtful to those who have suffered due to legislation brought in and maintained with the help of misleading media portrayals of dangerous dogs, in real life families are torn apart when their pets are seized and held at secret kennel locations often in sub-standard conditions awaiting court hearings to determine their fate, but yet another piece of biased negative story has been heaped against the dog to further fuel the hatred of certain breeds.

The real problem is dangerous owners – yes people are the problem not dogs, but we like to sacrifice the bull breed on the media altar or in this case let a thug shot an abused dog with a shotgun, were viewers suppose to cheer at this point, relieved that the killing machine had been finished off?

Any breed or type of dog can become dangerous if owned by thugs, but once again the real Casualty is the dog and it’s about time the blame was laid where it belongs – not with the dog misrepresented by the BBC but with the owner.

If the BBC wanted to cover the issues of dog bite injuries, then they should have tried consulting with the people who work with and understand dogs, then they would have discovered the true reasons behind dog bite injuries; which would have further demonstrated how inaccurate their story line was from real life.

Please lodge a complaint to the BBC and make your feelings known in defence of our best friend- the dog.

Email BBC Complaints

Telephone: 08700 100 222

Or Write to: BBC Complaints, PO Box 1922, Glasgow G2 3WT

BBC Response:

Thank you for your e-mail regarding the 15 March episode of 'Casualty'.

We are sorry that you didn’t enjoy the storyline which featured a dog.

The breed of dog used in this episode wasn’t a Staffordshire bull terrier,
it was an American bulldog. We accept and understand that the vast majority
of bull breeds behave perfectly well.
 
However, there have been well documented instances of this breed of dog
attacking people, causing serious injury and in the worst cases, death.
These instances have been linked to dogs bred to fight illegally and this
programme featured just such a dog and highlighted the consequences of this
practice.
 
We had no intention to vilify all dogs and firmly believe that this
programme didn’t convey that impression.

However, we do acknowledge your concerns and would like to assure you that
we have registered your comments on our audience log. This is the internal
report of audience feedback which we compile daily for all programme makers
and commissioning executives within the BBC, and also their senior
management. It ensures that your points, and all other comments we receive,
are circulated and considered across the BBC.
 
Thank you again for taking the time to contact us.

Regards
BBC Complaints

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