Dead Competitive BBC Radio 4
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- Society & Culture
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Comedian Kerry Godliman takes a journey into the world of dog shows, on the hunt for answers, after the death of an Irish setter in 2015. It’s a playful investigative podcast, which follows all leads into the wondrous world of dog showing, while trying to make sense of the death of a beloved pet.
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Welcome to Dead Competitive
What happened when an Irish setter was found dead after a dog show in 2015, as a forensic report reveals the dog's stomach contained three strains of poison sewn inside beef cubes.
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1. A Deliberate Malicious Act
What happens when a dog dies under suspicious circumstances directly after appearing at the world’s biggest dog show? This is an investigation into the death of Thendara Satisfaction, an Irish setter, a superstar show-dog-in-training, and a family member.
Comedian and dog owner Kerry Godliman enters the world of dog showing to discover Thendara Satisfaction, Jagger to his loved ones, was poisoned.
His owners believed it could only have happened at Crufts; the greatest dog show in the world. -
2. The Greatest (Dog) Show on Earth
Kerry visits Crufts in Birmingham. The dog show to end all dog shows.
160,00 thousand people, 28,000 dogs, a cash prize of £200. One dog found dead.
This episode explores Crufts in all its sparkle and glory, looking back at its murky history and the participants who compete annually.
The scene of the crime is illuminated and we are taken back to the moment the death was announced on Twitter by accident.
A media frenzy ensued – why was the story of a dog’s death so delicious to a hungry journalist? -
3. Cui Bono?
Means, Motive, Opportunity. Kerry applies the principles of human homicide investigation to this four-legged mystery. She considers the line-up of suspects and asks Cui Bono? (To Whom Is It A Benefit?)
Enlisting the help of a professional Pet Detective, Kerry speaks to people who were there at Crufts and digs deep into the motivation of who might want Jagger eliminated. She considers the rivalries and rewards of winning Crufts.
Fame, film, dog-modelling plus the real money in winning is that it increases the dog’s value as a breeder. -
4. White Gold
Kerry discovers the world of breeding dogs, the art of pedigree dog naming and the money exchanged for specific dogs. She goes on to look at the relationships within the (Irish) Setter world and the international semen trade.
Rhodesian Ridgeback breeder Dorothy tells the story of her prize stud dog, who was shot to death next to a children’s playground in Belgium. Is Europe where Kerry should head next? -
5. He Died like a Dog Because He was a Dog
In this episode Kerry gets wind that Jagger could have been collateral for a much bigger cause – animal rights activism.
She looks into the PETA protests at Crufts in 2015, and the arguments against dog shows.
“A dog is better off dead than in a crate.”
Customer Reviews
Interesting but repetitive
Wish they would stop replaying the panting dog sounds five or six times an episode. It’s annoying
Done Without Permission from the Victims
The podcast is very well produced and an interesting case, but I think the whole genre of true crime needs to come to terms with not reporting on cases without the victim’s or family’s permission. The host states over and over that the owners of Jagger want nothing to do with the podcast and that they asked others involved in the case not to disclose information to the podcast as well. I think this speaks volumes to how traumatizing this case is and how rude it is of the BBC to go digging around in it. Just feels icky to listen to knowing that they did all this without any permission from the family.