This Morning viewers have shared their thoughts after Chihuahua breeder Elena Katerova appeared on Tuesday’s show.
The daytime show welcomed Elena and her three tiny Chihauhaus alongside vet Dr Scott Miller, who is against the trend of ‘teacup dogs’.
The pair debated over whether owning a pet like ‘teacup dogs’ could mean you’re being cruel to the animal.
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Scott voiced concern the tiny dogs are prone to health problems and short lives as a result of their breeding, but Elena said she believes her dogs are healthy.
Elena, who has bred Chihuahuas for 20 years, explained that her pups often shake for a variety of reasons, including being cold or being nervous.
Elena insisted she always makes sure the pups are given the best care to ensure they are healthy.
Scott, meanwhile, spoke about the dangers of breeding and buying teacup dogs – which can be sold for a hefty price tag of up to £8,000.
He claimed the pooches can have a series of health implications including eye problems and heart issues.
“Nature is all about natural selection. The bigger, the strongest and the healthiest, that’s the ones we choose to breed,” he said.
“In this case, we’re actually choosing the weakest, the smallest. I think that’s quite irresponsible.”
Elena hit back: “It’s like with children, they can be born small or bigger, it doesn’t mean they’re unhealthy. But I understand that smaller dogs need more care.”
Talking about selling the dogs to buyers, Elena insisted: “We always make sure we select the correct family, especially if the puppy is tiny, so the dog isn’t in danger.
“We make sure there are no overactive households or they have boisterous animals.”
Scott added: “We already have small dogs, we don’t need excessively small dogs. By breeding the smallest of the small, we’re only going to have problems.”
Viewers took to Twitter to share their thoughts, with many people disagreeing with Elena.
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Meanwhile, some people thought the dogs were “cute”.
Others, however, urged animal lovers to consider adoption rather than purchasing a dog.
Another, meanwhile, said she owned a ‘teacup’ dog herself which was “perfectly healthy and happy.”
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