Is message finally hitting home? Brachy dog registrations plummet

Fresh figures show that registrations of English bulldogs, pugs and French bulldogs have plummeted in the past year.

The UK Brachycephalic Working Group (BWG) welcomed newly released data from the Royal Kennel Club (RKC) showing registration of the three key brachycephalic breeds respectively declined by 30%, 37% and 44% between 2024 and 2025.

The drop is well above the underlying reduction in overall RKC registrations in that time – which fell 15% from 187,772 to 158,901 – said to indicate a disproportionate reduction in their popularity within the registered population.

Campaigning

Amid extensive BWG campaigning to raise awareness of the health issues caused by extreme conformations including flat faces, excessive skin folds, spinal abnormalities and congenital short tails, RKC figures also demonstrated a decade-long fall in registrations of the three breeds.

The RKC revealed a 92% drop in pug registrations between 2016 and 2025 (10,408 to 834), while French bulldog registrations fell by 64% from 21,470 to 7,750 and English bulldog registrations dropped by 65% from 7,785 to 2,711.

The decreases are said to have continued year-on-year over that period.

‘Stop and think’

BWG chair and RVC professor of companion animal epidemiology Dan O’Neill said: “After a decade of BWG campaigning, it is heartening to see signs that the British public as a nation of animal lovers are recognising and taking action to ensure no dog suffers due to selective breeding for a flat-faced look.

“We urge the British public to continue to ‘Stop and think before buying a flat-faced dog’ whether RKC registered or not.”

Last year, Prof O’Neill co-authored a study that indicated public preference for less extreme body shapes among brachycephalic dogs.

‘New normal’

But veterinary and animal welfare organisations insist there is still more work to be done, with a “new normal” emerging among younger owners driven by social media.

BVA senior vice-president Elizabeth Mullineaux added: “These new figures are an encouraging sign that campaigns such as BVA’s #BreedToBreathe and collaborative work by the BWG are beginning to have a positive impact on demand.

“Of course, we know that there’s a large population of flat-faced dogs who aren’t RKC registered who’re being bred and brought across the UK, or being imported from abroad, so there’s still work to be done to tackle irresponsible breeding and to improve the overall welfare of these breeds.

“Our advice to anyone looking to get a puppy continues to be to prioritise health over looks.”

‘Cost of Cute’ campaign

Battersea recently launched a new “Cost of Cute” campaign seeking to raise awareness of the significant financial, emotional and welfare tolls that extreme physical aesthetics can carry with them for owners and their pets.

Caroline Jenkins, Battersea’s head of campaigns, said: “The registration data is a promising sign that the public demand for flat-faced dogs may be decreasing; however, among younger owners our research shows that expectations of how animals should look, behave and be treated are changing with a ‘new normal’ emerging.

“Pets that have exaggerated features remain incredibly popular on social media and online sales platforms – yet our social media feeds rarely show the full picture.”