Fur Babies Channel 4 - surely this is just glamorising animal breeding?

[sandrapinchedmysandwich]

I am only going on the trailer as I dont think it has started yet, but it follows people breeding their pets going from birth to the pets going to their new homes. Many of the pets looked to be designer breeds.

If this is indeed the premis of this programme, how stupid and irresponsible is this at a time when animal shelters are full of unwanted pets? I am furious and for the first time ever I want to complain about a TV programme

https://www.channel4.com/press/news/channel-4-commissions-fur-babies-wt-wonderhood-studios

It is just terrible idea for a programme

@WillowTit This program doesnt even make sense, these things were popular 15 years ago

It beggers belief it even got through whatever panel agrees on what programmes to make

I think the new Channel 4 series intends to document the journey of an animal/pet pregnancy.

I'm sure there had been plans for BBC to do a similar show but they received that many complaints it was pulled.

I don't watch ordinary TV so no clue what it is, but it sounds like an irresponsible idea.

Enough bloody animals in rescue without joe public breeding even more of them for the entertainment of others, who may decide it looks a great idea & breed themselves.

No doubt there will be some sort of unhealthested poodle cross in there, as they seem to be everywhere these days.

Poor Bella the chocolate labrador. The stupid owner, Holly, deliberately putting her through all that trauma and stress. Makes my blood boil!

This is absolutely appalling. The rescue homes are bursting at the seams. The owner of Bella how irresponsible to get her dog pregnant to get a puppy like Bella. There is absolutely no guarantee that the puppy would be like Bella in nature. Stupidity. Take this programme off. Go to a rescue if you want a puppy or dog.

I completely agree unless they are going to highlight the fact that all animal breeders require a license by the council in order to sell for profit, highlight the chance of a c-section , the cost and time of raising a litter of puppies. The percentage of loosing mum and the puppies. Responsibility of correct health testing and correct matings to ensure no faults are carried on. Are they highlighting the breed standards and the health and temperament. I doubt it very much it’s probably joe bloggs wanted to make a quick buck and his neighbour had a dog and they fell in love and it was all sunshine and roses.

be interesting to watch it, I’m sure there will be some complaints and I hope they don’t just glamorise breeding!

I noticed that Holly, the owner of Bella, who was supposedly breeding from her just to get a little female companion for her, who would be just like Bella, soon had an online page created with pictures of Bella and the "dad", all set up to flog the puppies before poor Bella had even given birth!

FFS. They should do more programmes about all the abandoned kittens & puppies who end up at rescues. I just hope everyone sees these money-grubbing idiots for what they are.

Did anyone else feel the documentary makers staged the death of the kitten? The family sat around the mother cat saying that the kitten had died. The mummy cat then jumped and retrieved her alive, newborn, tiny kitten from the floor. The kitten then made a full recovery. It seem wrong how the tiny kitten had been removed from its mother and sibling and dumped on the floor.

I've just watched a couple of episodes - it is INSANE. The show is nuts, I can't believe it's been made for the reasons you mention OP.

Most of the people featured in the show are incredibly deluded and irresponsible. The woman in the first episode who was desperate for a female puppy to keep. Her dog had barely pushed the puppies out of her birth canal, and she was looking to see what sex they were, rather than helping the dog birth. And the woman with the standard poodle has MH issues, 2 dogs, and a young baby, but somehow thought this was a great time to knock up her dog? And then they end up having to hand feed the pup.

And what is this fixation with the concept of 'oh we wanted to let her have her own puppies.' It's so weird on so many levels. Poor animals.

TV hasn't enraged me so much for a while!

Is this the same channel that had the revolting skid mark campaign?

I agree (also based on the adverts). Rescues are overrun as it is!

I watched the first episode out of interest and yep it sucks. I work in an animal rescue shelter - WE ARE AT CAPACITY!

The show is in incredibly bad taste.

So are we!!!!

I only hope this programme will put people off using breeders.

Just the term 'fur babies' makes me shudder for some reason.

I haven't watched this as the term Fur babies actually makes me scream at the TV.

This is Leyla from episode one, according to Google the arched back and tail down means she's feeling threatened and frightened. She has just given birth, her kitten has been removed and put on the floor in another room. Her family are pretending her kitten is dead, when it's not, and she has a stranger sticking a camera in her face.

Surely grounds for RSPCA investigation?

Yes, I totally agree, what was she doing taking the babies of her the min they were out silly moo

Oh this makes me so sad.