Film may cause 1001 unwanted Dalmatians

Animal rescuers dread a rash of spotty dogs, writes Clare Garner

If you find yourself breaking out in a rash of spots this Christmas, you'll know that you've gone down with the latest disease: Dalmatia.

Across the country, Dalmatian rescuers are bracing themselves for what they consider to be an inevitable influx of unwanted puppies following the release of Disney's real-life version of 101 Dalmatians on 13 December. They fear that parents will give in to pressure from children seduced by the dotty bundles, only to find out months later that they cannot handle the boisterous breed.

The puppies were irresistible the first time round - and they weren't even real. On Christmas Day 1961, Disney released a cartoon adaptation of Dodie Smith's classic children's story The One Hundred and One Dalmatians. The animated doggy fairy tale was an instant hit and the demand for Dalmatians almost doubled.

This time, in Disney's words, "The magic is real". The cast consists of live puppies and Glenn Close as a gorgeously evil Cruella de Vil.

To 90-year-old Phyllis Piper, who founded the Dalmatian Rescue Service 34 years ago, it is a familiar scenario. She spent the Sixties picking up the pieces after instant puppy purchases.

"We had quite a lot of extra rescue work after the release of the first film," she said. "We're very worried this time - especially as they have chosen to use live puppies. The release of the cartoon video [in September] has already created an extra demand for puppies. The welfare of Dalmatians is the only thing in my heart."

The Kennel Club's statistics show how the 1961 film put the breed on the map, prompting an upsurge in the demand for spotty dogs. In 1959, there were 791 registered Dalmatian puppies. By 1963, there were 1,549.

Vanessa Davies, publicity manager for Buena Vista, Disney's UK distributor, denied the puppy lust precedent. "There is no statistical evidence to suggest that the release of the live action version of 101 Dalmatians will cause the public to rush out and buy dogs at Christmas," she insisted. "This did not happen when the original animated version of the film was released in 1961."

But figures show that pre-publicity for both the video of the cartoon version and the live cinema version has already resulted in an increased demand for the breed: 3,120 puppies were registered in 1995. In the first nine months of this year, 2,914 puppies had already been registered. Brian Leonard of the Kennel Club said Buena Vista's remarks were "naive". "I don't know where they're getting their information from. They certainly haven't talked to me about it."

Dalmatian lovers nationwide are trying to put across their message: "Don't be a Christmas Cruella." An adult Dalmatian weighs 60lb and, as a former carriage dog, requires four miles exercise a day. The British Dalmatian Club is rallying its 700 troops to distribute flyers warning: "Seen the film? Read the book? Want the dog? Wait." The North of England Dalmatian Club has adopted the slogan: "Say `no' to a Dalmatian puppy."

The National Canine Defence League has pressed Disney to run a trailer immediately before each film screening with a special version of the charity's trademark message: "A dog is for life, not just for Christmas." Sponsored by Andrex, the advice is clear: "Please don't forget puppies grow. They need your love all their lives."

But Disney's response has left many dissatisfied. They feel the trailer will be ineffectual and the company should have funded Dalmatian rescue centres, as well as research into why 25 per cent of the breed are born deaf - and therefore destroyed.

Beverley Cuddy, editor ofDogs Today, said: "It would have been lovely if Disney, having made millions out of the breed, had given a bit of money back to research its problems." She is appalled at the timing of the film, too. "It would be bad enough if we had the launch of the film at any time, but it's so easy for parents to buckle and say `yes' to kids' pressure at Christmas," she said.

"In the film they are anthropomorphised, but in real life Dalmatians are the most doggy of dogs. They're not going to look at you cleverly and have a conversation like they do in this film, they will show you they're bored by chewing your sofa."

She did, however, add that a Dalmatian costs about pounds 350 - a prohibitive price for many.

Lyn Diable is dreading the influx. Her Kushti Dalmatian Club and Animal Sanctuary in West Sussex is already full to bursting. Here is a woman who is quite literally dotty about Dalmatians. As the owner of well over 101 Dalmatians, not to mention her spotty house, spotty Porsche and spotty wardrobe, Ms Diable, 40, says she is already seeing repercussions from the film. She has recently taken in several young dogs which she suspects were bred specifically for the film. "For every one dog that got a part, there was a litter behind them," she said.