Battersea Dogs and Cats Home has expressed its disappointment regarding a recent Emmerdale storyline.

Last week, the soap aired scenes of a brutal dog attack on local vet Paddy Dingle (Dominic Brunt).

While attempting to help a sheep that was trapped in a fence, Paddy came face to face with a large Alsatian. The dog became aggressive and attacked Paddy, causing serious injuries and excessive blood loss.

Following the episode, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home has praised Emmerdale for highlighting the importance of proper animal training. However, in an interview with the Express, the rescue home also flagged its disappointment in the choice of dog breed used for the storyline.

“Although the dog bite incident portrayed was thankfully fictional, it highlights the importance of responsible dog ownership, understanding a dog’s body language, and what may happen if a dog is not properly socialised or trained,” said Michael Webb, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Battersea.

“Whilst Battersea welcomes this issue being platformed to such a big audience, we were disappointed to see that the choice of dog breed reinforced the stereotype that particular types of dog are inherently ‘dangerous’, when in reality any dog – no matter its size, shape or breed – has the potential to bite if not properly cared for by responsible owners.”

A spokesperson for Emmerdale said: “When selecting a dog for this storyline we didn’t specify a breed, but needed a highly trained animal that could perform in various ways.”

“The dog that we chose from a credited supplier, was a cross breed and fully trained in all of our requirements, most comfortable on set and therefore the safest for us to work with.”

In upcoming episodes, Paddy will continue to struggle after the attack, as he attempts to return to work.

Though things start off well, Paddy will soon realise his new crippling fear when a customer brings in a large dog to be treated. Will the vet be forced to change careers?