ITV Share By Rebecca Sayers Jul 14 2025 By Rebecca Sayers Jul 14 2025 Emmerdale responds to Battersea Dogs Home’s criticism over Paddy’s attack storyline Paddy was left with serious injuries Paddy Kirk Share By Rebecca Sayers Jul 14 2025 By Rebecca Sayers Jul 14 2025 Earlier in the month Emmerdale aired a brutal dog attack on Paddy Kirk. And it seems some aspects has annoyed Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. While attempting to help a sheep that was trapped in a fence, Paddy was attacked by a large German Shepherd dog. It was being used by newcomer Celia as her personal guard dog. But the attack on Paddy led to serious injuries. Battersea Dogs and Cats Home has praised Emmerdale for highlighting proper animal training. However, they also criticised the soap for using that particular breed of dog. Since the criticism, Emmerdale have responded. Paddy lies critically injured afTer being attacked by a dog (Credit: ITV) Battersea Dogs and Cats Home flagged disappointment Speaking to Express about the storyline, Battersea Dogs Home admitted they “welcoming” to the idea, they were ultimately “disappointed” with the portrayal. Michael Webb, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Battersea said: “Although the dog bite incident portrayed was thankfully fictional, it highlights the importance of responsible dog ownership, understanding a dog’s body language and what may happen if your dog is not properly trained. article continues below Read all the latest spoilers “Whilst Battersea welcomes this issue being platformed to such a big audience, we were disappointed to see that the choice of dog breed reinforced the stereotype that particular dogs are inherently ‘dangerous’. The reality is any dog – no matter its size, shape or breed – has potential to bite if not properly cared for by responsible owners.” However, following the feedback, a spokesperson for Emmerdale revealed they did not specify a breed of dog for the Paddy attack storyline. Emmerdale had criticism over the breed of dog (Credit: ITV) Emmerdale responds to Paddy attack criticism The spokesperson said: “When selecting a dog for this storyline, we didn’t specify a breed. But needed a highly trained animal that could perform in various ways. “The dog that we chose from a credited supplier was a cross breed, and fully trained in all of our requirements. It was most comfortable on set and therefore the safest for us to work with.” The Paddy storyline in Emmerdale is not over just yet. The soap is continuing to highlight dog training by the portrayal of long-term effects after an attack. Spoilers show Paddy, who has always loved his job as a vet, faces a day alone in the surgery. At first he manages to cope with the fear – until a client with a big dog arrives. Suddenly unable to keep her fear under control, he shuts the surgery for the rest of the day. Read more: 9 Emmerdale characters fans wouldn’t mind saying goodbye to as they fear cast cuts Share Good to Know Share By Rebecca Sayers Jul 14 2025 By Rebecca Sayers Jul 14 2025
