Although the need to address specific welfare aspects of dog breeding was lent more urgency following the BBC1 television programme Pedigree Dogs Exposed, first shown in August 2008, a number of publications prior to the programme had also highlighted the issues. One of the earliest investigations into abnormalities and defects in pedigree dogs was carried out in 1963 by the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) at the request of the Kennel Club ( Hodgman, 1963). Later publications emphasised the welfare concerns associated with modern dog breeding