Target: Craig Erwich, President ABC Entertainment
Goal: Protect dogs from ridicule and abuse for human amusement.
A new ABC TV series starring the actress Rebel Wilson called “Pooch Perfect” is seemingly all about dog grooming. However, the series promotes the exploitation of animals using harmful methods such as dyeing the dogs’ skin and coat and gluing objects on their bodies.
Over the years, numerous cases surfaced in the news of people dyeing their animals at home and seriously injuring or even killing their pet because the dye was toxic. Additionally, coloring a dark coat requires bleaching the fur for it to hold other colors. Not only is this procedure completely unnecessary for the dog, but also very painful.
Besides the dye, people on the show glue accessories onto the animals’ coats and sometimes onto their skin. Some of the animals are also painted. Using materials that are non-toxic for the dogs does not change the fact that they are ridiculed and put in a stressful situation for human entertainment. This normalizes practices that are abusive to the animals involved. The TV series might lead to people dyeing and accessorizing their dogs at home that could cause serious injury or maiming.
Dressing up dogs can be fine for the animals, and is sometimes even necessary as many dogs require clothing and paw protection to stay warm in cold weather, but using dye has no place in animal care.
Sign the petition below to end the show Pooch Perfect.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mr. Erwich,
The show “Pooch Perfect” on the ABC Network is promoting the abuse of animals. Grooming dogs can be perfectly safe for the animal involved but not when dubious practices like dyeing and gluing are used.
Countless animals had to suffer from people dyeing their coats and seriously injuring or even killing them with toxic chemicals. Additionally, people on the show glue accessories onto the animals’ coats and sometimes onto their skin, while others are painted. Why do you allow this to happen to an animal that is oblivious about what is happening and cannot give its consent to the procedures?
The dogs on the show are ridiculed and put in a stressful situation for human entertainment. “Pooch Perfect” normalizes practices that are abusive to the animals involved and might lead to people copying parts of the show at home that could cause serious injury or maiming.
Your TV show would find a broader audience if participants were simply designing unique clothes for dogs without the actual animal participating. You must discontinue this show now before animals get seriously harmed.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Pierre Stickney
This is horrible, if they want to paint and dye themselves fine but not these poor innocent dogs that have no say so about what they do to them, they are at humans mercy!
This is so totally stupid. ABC, how low can you go!?
Don’t want to watch a show torturing & mistreating dogs!
THIS MUST BE TAKEN OFF THE AIR!! PURE CRUELTY!!!
Harmful abusive to animals! You should be jailed to think this is ok!
THIS IS ABUSE, NOT ENTERTAINMENT. It’s inhumane and despicable and ABC MUST CANCEL THIS OUTRAGE IMMEDIATELY.
People that can do this to any dog must be evil and not really loving their dogs. It looks like a crime against animals.
I saw the Pooch Perfect Show for the first time yesterday and was horrified to see that the dogs’ hair was dyed and painted. Why would a show that is appealing to animal lovers promote such torture of dogs? Both dying and painting of fur and skin can cause severe irritation for dogs, if not infection. It is unbelievable that this is the show. I was hoping to enjoy seeing dogs groomed humanely and see the human and dogs lovingly interact. I saw the opposite and turned off the show. Change this, now, please.