Crufts prize winner Irish Setter poisoned

There is "no doubt" a prize-winning Irish setter was "maliciously poisoned" at Crufts, one of his owners has said, according to reports by the BBC late Monday.

Thendara Satisfaction, known as Jagger, died after leaving the Birmingham show. His owners related he ate poisoned beef.

Co-owner Jeremy Bott said he did not think the dog was targeted, but the culprit may have been acting on "a grudge against dogs or the Crufts show,” they said.

The Kennel Club said it was the only case of poisoning being investigated at this time.

Fellow owner of Jagger, Aleksandra Lauwers, said they had lost "our love, family member and best friend to our son".

Mr Bott's wife, Dee Milligan-Bott, told BBC Radio 5 live: "I don't believe in my heart of hearts that this was another competitor or anyone involved in the dog world.

"I can only imagine that it was a random act that somebody premeditated and wanted to cause total distress at the best dog show in the world. It's not unknown for people to do things like this,” Botts said.

"He was a typical Irish setter, totally trustworthy and so loved. We are devastated.”

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 A full toxicology report is pending and should shed more information on the death of beloved dog. There are no other reports of dogs being sick at the show as of this report.

Unlike some dog shows where access to the dogs is limited, Crufts show is different. "The accessibility of shows such as Crufts... is such that the general public can wander in and out of the dogs' benches and approach any dog, so to keep an eye on everybody who came up and spoke to the dogs is very difficult,” said a family member of the dog’s owner.

The Crufts Dog Show is advertised as the largest dog show in the world and is sponsored by Eukanuba Pet Food.

Crufts boasts it is no longer only a dog show but a celebration of every aspect of the role dogs play in our lives.

Established in 1891 by the Victorian show man Charles Crufts, the show has evolved since then and become part of the British canine establishment in the country. The judges are trained to ensure that only healthy dogs win prizes to ensure healthy and safe breeding practices by owners. 

Dog owners around the world send their condolences to the owners of Jagger and share in the grief for the loss of their family member.  Dogs are members of our families and their loss is felt deeply.  We hope the killers of Jagger will be found and prosecuted according to British law.

Resources
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-31792152
http://www.crufts.org.uk/content/show-information/history-of-crufts/