28 Feb 2023
Businesses and lawmakers are being urged to do more to prevent advertising that is seen to normalise brachycephalic dogs’ health issues.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Veterinary groups and a welfare charity have urged companies to go further after a greetings card retailer appeared to withdraw products depicting pugs and French bulldogs.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said Moonpig has pledged to stop selling cards featuring the breeds because of concerns their depiction normalises their known health problems.
Although the company has not confirmed the move itself, no matches are now given for either breed in searches of its website.
But while the measure is being seen as a step forward, BVA senior vice-president Justine Shotton said additional steps are still needed.
Cards featuring English bulldogs are still being offered for sale on the company’s website.
Dr Shotton said: “We have been calling for Moonpig and other retailers to help stop the worrying trend for flat-faced pets like pugs, French bulldogs and Persians, which suffer extreme and painful health conditions, by removing irresponsible depictions of them from their products.
“We welcome this action, but there is still much more to do. We hope the company will expand this policy to all pets whose ‘cute’ appeal masks a host of potential breed-related health and welfare problems.”
Around 900 people have so far signed an online petition, launched by the Progressive Veterinary Association, calling for a ban on the use of animals showing signs of extreme breeding in advertising.
The group said the move was a positive step, which several organisations had been lobbying for, but an advertising ban was needed while numbers of the affected breeds remain high.
A spokesperson said: “We are not about banning these breeds, but breeding healthy versions of them – but until that time, stopping the subliminal messaging has to be widespread.”
Meanwhile, PETA has also written to the owners of insurance company Churchill to call for its current Churchie mascot, an English bulldog, to be replaced.
Yvonne Taylor, PETA’s corporate projects manager, said the mascot had “undoubtedly boosted” the breed’s popularity and “no responsible company” should be promoting deliberate breeding for aesthetic rather than health reasons.
She wrote: “The time has come for Churchill to say, ‘Oh no’ to bulldogs and any other representations of flat-faced dog breeds in its advertising.
“By announcing a rescued, mixed-breed mutt as Churchill’s new mascot, you would be championing the underdogs of this world and win the praise of animal lovers.”
Churchill has been approached for comment.
