New Dog Grooming Series Slammed Over Claims of 'Animal Abuse'

A new dog grooming show, "Pooch Perfect," has been accused of being abusive toward its animals.  

The ABC competition series, which premiered on Tuesday, pits teams of top groomers against one another to create over-the-top looks for the dogs. Some critics have taken issue with how the animals are heavily dyed in the show, but celebrity dog groomer and show judge Jorge Bendersky told the New York Post that "safety is always the first concern."  

Veterinary professionals were reportedly on hand to oversee which nontoxic pet care and styling products were used.  

"On set we had an RSPCA-approved Animal Welfare Consultant, a Grooming Consultant, and a Vet, to ensure that we put every precaution in place to keep the dogs safe and well," a spokesperson added, according to Express. "Every owner was asked if they were happy for their dogs to have some temporary color put on them." 

Animal rights organizations, however, expressed concerns over what message "Pooch Perfect" may be communicating to the public.  

"Dogs trust us to keep them safe, but shows like ‘Pooch Perfect’ can encourage people to treat them as if they were things to decorate, like a ceramic pot, giving them dangerous at-home dye jobs, which not only carry the risk of an allergic reaction or fatal toxic poisoning but also stress them out," PETA said in a statement. "The dogs used on this show aren’t things but beings, and they deserve to curl up at home with a loving guardian — instead of having to put up with being leashed to a countertop and painted and prodded by strangers for hours on end." 

The show also faced backlash from viewers angered by how the dogs were used for entertainment.  

"Dogs are not props for entertainment. The dogs look miserable and [it] feels cruel. I’m shocked @ABCNetwork was so tone deaf in green lighting this series," tweeted producer Michael Levitt, who worked on the "2020 American Rescue Dog Show" TV special.  

"At first I thought pooch perfect sounded like it may be a cute show. Now it just looks like torturing dogs for the sake of human entertainment. Gross. All the chemicals dying their fur. Poor doggies," another viewer tweeted. 

"This show is a disgusting display. This is not artistry, it is animal abuse. #PoochPerfect," one person wrote. 

"The longer I watch this show, the worse I feel for these poor dogs," someone else added.  

"I just saw a promo for an upcoming ABC show, "Pooch Perfect." And, it hurts my heart. I have many questions, but overall it boils down to, how unhappy are those poor dogs going thru all that makeover stuff?!" asked another person. 

ABC has not yet addressed the criticism. 

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