Did a Serial Dog Killer Run Rampant at Crufts?

This Crufts dog poisoning story is getting completely out of hand.

There’ve been a frenzy of updates in the British press, where this is (apparently) a huge story. The Telegraph reported rumors that other dogs who’d been at Crufts showed signs of sickness, and now the Kennel Club, which runs the show, is working overtime to get things under control. The BBC reports that the Kennel Club is looking into the rumors but also loudly crying that as of right now there’s absolutely no proof ANY dog was poisoned at their show, even Jagger, and there’s not even a formal investigation at this time. Said a spokesperson:

“We are aware of these reports but have not been contacted by any shih tzu owners claiming their pets have been harmed, so it’s totally unverified at this point as far as we are aware.”

The spokesperson added:

“With regards to speculation about any other incidents involving other dogs, we must stress that these are, at this stage, just rumours.

“There are any number of reasons why a dog may display symptoms such as sickness and should a dog fall sick, there are vets at Crufts who will examine the dog in question and file a report.”

And Kennel Club secretary Caroline Kisko told the Guardian that “the facts surrounding Jagger the Irish Setter’s tragic death some 26 hours after leaving Crufts are still being established.”

As of now, the last report we have has Jagger’s cause of death as “beef… stuffed with poison.” Seriously: Who hurts a show dog? They’re just about the most harmless creatures on Earth.