Border Collie 'abused' at Crufts wasn't abused at all...

KC says no evidence of mistreatment by Crufts obedience competitor

Created: 13/03/2015

ALLEGATIONS that an obedience competitor harshly handled his Border Collie in the car park of the National Exhibition Centre at Crufts have been refuted.

David Holzman, who competes regularly for Canada in the Obedience World Cup at the show, said his bitch had picked up some canine faeces and he was trying to get it out of her mouth and his actions were misconstrued.

DOG WORLD was contacted by several people upset by what they had witnessed and alleging that Mr Holzman had been mistreating the dog.

Mr Holzman told DW: "I came out of hall 5 with my dog Alison on the Sunday of Crufts at midday to exercise her and let her relieve herself.

"In the area of the parking lot she picked up a mouthful of another dog's do-do. I was bending over her trying to clean her mouth when all of a sudden a lady showed up in front of me shouting and screaming that I was beating on my dog, and immediately began taking pictures.

"A man was behind me as well. They both took off together as another lady and a security guard showed up with the lady… She told me she was going to report what she had seen and heard.She literally ran from me, along with the security man, to report what had taken place.

"I love my dog, Alison, more than life itself! I don't know why I was treated in this manner. I cannot believe it or what it was all about.”

The Kennel Club said it had received reports from no eye witnesses that the bitch was being mistreated.

"The KC takes any allegations of potential mistreatment very seriously,” a spokesman said. "We have now received a reply from the person concerned to our request for information relating to the suggestion that a dog was harshly handled in the car park at the NEC.

"The person in the photograph has told us that he was trying to remove something from the dog’s mouth and his claim that he was not abusing his dog has been corroborated by a number of eye witnesses including NEC officials and members of the public.

"There have been no contrary eye witness reports or any evidence to suggest the dog was being mistreated. There is no evidence at this time to support the suggestion that there was any harsh handling involved. All the evidence suggests that the photo has been misconstrued much to the distress of the owner.”

Lorraine wrote:Not such a sensational headline, is it?  "Man takes faeces from dog's mouth!"