Emmerdale attacked for ‘trivialising dog napping’

Furious Emmerdale fans have slated the show’s bosses for ‘trivialising’ dog napping in an ‘unnecessary and vile’ new storyline.

Soap fans were aghast when Charity Dingle and Ross Barton discussed stealing a dog for money in a plan the scheming pair dubbed “operation Snatch Wolfie”.

“Oh why promote dog knapping? Brings so much misery to lots of people,” asked one furious viewer on Twitter, while another copied in charity Dog Lost UK and added: “I seriously hope that your not going to trivialise the issue of dog theft in the U.K. In your up coming story line.”

Dog Lost UK has since waded into the row, and said it would welcome a dog napping storyline – if it was handled in the appropriate way. Hmmm, doesn’t sound likely, does it?

“Whilst DogLost would encourage raising the awareness of dog theft through the serious and sensitive inclusion of the subject in a drama, it cannot condone its trivialisation in a current story line in Emmerdale,” a spokesperson said.

“Thousands of dogs a year are stolen in the UK and DogLost works hard to support owners subjected to this crime. We work closely with police forces up and down the country and are campaigning with the Stolen and Missing Pets Alliance for tougher sentencing.

Last night’s episode showed Charity, played by Emma Atkins, cross-examining Ross over his bulky wallet when he plonked it on the bar of the Woolpack.

“It’s a dog napping scam,” he explained. “You’ve no idea how much money can be made from these rat-faced pedigree things.”

“You don’t find the Cruella De Vil wig makes you look conspicuous?” Charity replied, before adding that she wants in on the pooch-pinching scam.

“DogLost has made representations to the executive producer at Emmerdale asking for the story line to be amended with an appropriate outcome,” DogLost added.

Let’s hope the scriptwriters are listening.