Crufts Dog Show, explained | Streakers, protests and mysterious poisonings: The biggest controversies to rock Crufts, the world’s largest dog show

Every year, thousands of people converge on Birmingham for the prestigious Crufts dog show.

Dubbed the “world’s greatest dog show”, Crufts has been running in some form since 1886. Last year, 155,000 spectators saw 24,000 dogs of varying breeds take part, while a worldwide audience of more than 8.7 million people watched on television.

But it is not without problems. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest controversies to rock the dog show, including the shock upset win at this year’s event.

Watch the video above.

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First, some history

Crufts was named after its founder, Charles Cruft, the general manager of a dog biscuit manufacturer, who launched his first dog show for terriers in 1886.

The show, held in Islington, London, saw 600 entries across 57 classes.

By 1891, the show had been named Cruft’s Greatest Dog Show and saw all breeds invited to compete for the first time, drawing 2500 entries.

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From there, it continued to grow and by 1991, ‘Crufts’, as it was then known, was recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest dog show, after 22,973 dogs were exhibited that year.

Now, an average of 28,000 dogs from across the world vie for the top prize in front of 160,000 spectators who attend the event, which is beamed to millions more on television.

But it has also resulted in some big controversies.

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Streaker makes a run for it

Notorious serial streaker Mark Roberts interrupted judging of one of the competitions at the Crufts show in 2010.

Roberts, of Liverpool in England, used a strategically placed cat costume to cover his genitals before racing in front of shocked fans during the gundog competition.

Roberts was captured and escorted from the area before judging could continue.

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Cruelty claim

In 2015, a furore erupted when Rebecca Cross, the owner of that year’s overall Best in Show winner, Knopa, was shown picking up the Scottish terrier by its tail.

After the footage showed Cross using the controversial dog handling technique, about 190,000 people signed online petitions calling for her to be stripped of the title.

The event’s organisers, The Kennel Club, said it had warned Cross not to pick up the dog in that way even though it was ‘customary’ in the United States, where she is from.

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Cross issued an apology, but it fell short with many animal lovers after she said she “didn’t do it on purpose.”

“It’s just one of those things. It happened and I tried to really think about it and not do it, but it’s habit,” she said.

Organisers eventually said it would be unfair to strip a dog of its title based on the actions of its owner.

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Animal rights protest

A whippet named Tease had just been crowned the winner of the 2018 Crufts show when an animal rights activist clutching a small sign with the words “Crufts: Canine Eugenics” ran on to the judging area.

As officials and the dog’s owner, Yvette Short, watched on in horror, the protestor was tackled to the ground as the images were beamed live to TV audiences.

At the time, The Guardian quoted a spokesman for Crufts who said, “It appears that protestors from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) gained unauthorised access to the ring in the main arena at Crufts, and in doing so scared the dogs and put the safety of both dogs and people at risk in a hugely irresponsible way.”

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“Our main priority at the moment is the wellbeing of the dogs that were in the ring, who are looked after by their owners and show officials,” the statement continued.

PETA UK later tweeted a clip of the incident and said the two activists were members of Vegan Strike Group who were protesting extreme breeding practices.

Poisoning mystery

When an Irish setter named Jagger died after returning home to Belgium days after competing at Crufts in 2015, its owners were convinced it had been poisoned at the dog show.

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A post-mortem examination revealed the dog had in fact been poisoned.

But the two pieces of meat in the dog’s stomach containing two fast-acting poisons meant it couldn’t have occurred at the dog show.

But the plot thickened when there were reports up to six other dog owners came forward to allege their dogs were also poisoned at the show – something organisers denied.

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They did, however, agree to step up security, including “increased patrols by stewards, as well as CCTV, to further protect the dogs at the show.”

As for Jagger, the mystery was never solved.

Winner causes upset

Not everyone agrees with the judges, and 2025 was no exception.

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When a four-year-old whippet called Miuccia was crowned the overall winner of Crufts earlier this week, many cried foul.

The dog, which hails from Italy, was named Best in Show, delighting its handler Giovanni Liguori, who described it as a “dream come true.”

But within moments of Judge Patsy Hollings making her decision, social media commentators said a Jack Russell terrier that was also in the finals had been ‘robbed’ of the win.

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“Jack Russell dogs always get robbed in Crufts. Last year or this year should have been best in show for them,” said one.

“A Jack Russell ROBBED for the second year in a row,” wrote another.

And it looked like even the event’s narrator agreed.

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”The Jack Russell was the public winner, but didn’t make the podium this time,” they said.

Historically, cocker spaniels are most likely to win the show’s top award, with seven named best in show.

Welsh terriers, Irish setters and whippets have each clinched the win four times, while labradors, which won three times in the 1930s, have not taken out the top honour since then.

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