Why did so many dog lovers express outrage and disappointment when Keith Lemon (Leigh Francis) give away a puppy on his ITV show Keith Lemon's Lemonaid? Why did his actions send out such a dangerous message?
If you were watching Keith Lemon's Lemonaid on Saturday 28th April you'd have seen a dog given as a competition prize. What's your reaction? Did you just think, “Aw!”, or do you know enough about dogs to understand what a disaster the incident was for dog welfare?
Well the Lemongate scandal rumbles on and gathers pace - the national media is beginning to pick up on it now. The Daily Mail is today running the story ITV under fire for allowing 'Keith Lemon' comedian Leigh Francis to give away puppy as a prize on primetime show.
The Kennel Club was appalled to see a puppy being given away as a prize on the ITV show Keith Lemon's Lemonaid and the following is our statement:
The Kennel Club is disappointed and shocked that a puppy was given as a prize on a prime-time ITV show and is writing to the television producers and to Ofcom to outline its concerns.
When I settled down to watch Keith Lemon's Lemonaid on Saturday evening, I had no idea that the show would provoke a furore in the dog world, but as soon as it became clear that the program intended to give a puppy as prize to the child that succeeded in a competition, my stomach twisted. Three children who were each pestering their parents for a dog had been selected to compete against each other to win a puppy, and when a little girl won the competition a tiny six week old Pug puppy was duly produced and given to her to cuddle.
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