. . . but ownership of flat-faced dog breeds has increased further in recent years
CONVINCING 68% of people in the South West believe that breeding dogs with genetic health problems – such as French bulldogs and pugs – is unacceptable.
The poll highlights the level of public concern over the welfare of flat-faced dog breeds, with the RSPCA concerned that these animals are too often Born to suffer.
Despite these concerns, many of these breeds have become popular in recent years – with many unsuspecting owners unaware of the devastating health problems these dogs face.
As part of the charity Born to suffer campaign – launched as Crufts concluded this weekend and with dog breeds in the spotlight – the animal welfare charity hopes heartbreaking new images show the reality of the health problems facing a flat-faced brachycephalic dog is facing will make people think twice before buying one.
The campaign urges people to sign a pledge against supporting extreme breeding – and instead prioritize the health and wellbeing of dogs and puppies.
This comes as recent research shows French bulldogs are among the most popular breeds with buyers1.
But often, owners don’t realize that these dogs have difficulty breathing due to their facial structure, which can lead to suffering and expensive vet bills for owners.
Esme Wheeler, RSPCA dog expert, said: “We all love RSPCA dogs, but we can’t hide behind the fact that flat-faced breeds suffer because of their appearance. To put it bluntly, they are imprisoned in a painful, inhibiting body that prevents the dog from being a dog.
“The three breeds with the greatest health and welfare problems – Pugs, English Bulldogs and French Bulldogs – are increasingly ‘normalized’ and celebrated in advertising, promotion and social media.
Not so cute. . .
“If you Google ‘cute dogs,’ these are the breeds that often come up first. They are ubiquitous in advertising and social media and this incessant exposure has fueled demand, but it has also normalized what can be described as totally abnormal – but behind this “niceness” there is a lot of suffering.
“We hope our new Born to Suffer campaign will make people think twice before buying one. It’s important for people to know that when they see “cute” photos of a pug on Instagram, the reality behind the photo is very different.
“These breeds have been selected over the years for exaggerated characteristics and, unfortunately, the result is that the dogs cannot function as normal, happy, healthy animals.”
The most well-known health problem in a flat-faced breed is brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) – a lifelong, progressive obstructive airway disease caused by excess soft tissue that does not have essentially nowhere to go since the skeleton was reduced.
Esme added: “BOAS can have a huge impact on a dog’s life and I find this to be one of the most saddening aspects, given that dogs are olfactory animals and so their main sense is their sense of smell and scent. This is reflected in every aspect of how they experience the world.
“Putting this animal in a body in which half of its nose has been reduced is incredibly sad.”
Research shows that, heartbreakingly, brachycephalic breeds have significantly shorter lifespans than other breeds, with research showing that French bulldogs will have a much shorter life expectancy than other breeds, estimated at 4.5 years.
- The RSPCA campaign, Born to sufferis encouraging people to join the battle against brachys by pledging online to say no to custom breeding and yes to health and wellbeing.