Keith Lemon's show cleared from animal cruelty complaints

Tuesday, 10th July 2012

Keith Lemon's ITV show LemonAid has been cleared of animal cruelty allegations after giving away a puppy as a prize.

ITV received over 200 complaints from members of the public about a competition called A Right Dog's Dinner.

The winner of the competition was awarded a pet puppy. Viewers accused the broadcaster of promoting irresponsible ownership.

However, TV watchdog Ofcom said the puppy was not in discomfort or distress and that ITV took "extensive measures" to ensure the welfare of the animal.

Digitalspy.co.uk quotes Ofcom as stating: "Through these measures, in Ofcom's view, the Licensee demonstrated its awareness of, and fulfilled, its obligations to ensure the welfare of all the puppies involved with this programme.

"The broadcaster therefore applied generally accepted standards to this content so as to ensure that any potential offence was justified by the context."

Following the show, ITV said it had thoroughly vetted the winner of the competition before filming to make sure they were suitable owners.