21 Mar 2023
New three-point plan is published by the UK Brachycephalic Working Group (BWG), whose members include representatives of both the BVA and the BSAVA.
Dan O’Neill.
Current and prospective pet owners are being urged to join the fight to protect and improve the health of brachycephalic dogs in the UK.
The plea is contained in a new three-point plan published by the UK Brachycephalic Working Group (BWG), whose members include representatives of both the BVA and the BSAVA.
The group believes its efforts on the issue have already proved effective in recent years, with latest research indicating a significant fall in suspected illegal importations.
But officials said they now need the public’s support: both in refusing to buy animals with more extreme features and in forcing companies to stop using them in their promotional activities.
BVA senior vice-president Justine Shotton said: “Together, we have an opportunity to make a real difference to these terrible breed-related welfare problems.”
The plan calls for owners to “stop and think” before buying a brachycephalic dog or breeding from one, and ensuring they pass breed-specific veterinary health checks ahead of breeding.
It further describes audible breathing or snoring when at rest as “never acceptable”, and urges owners to consult their vet with any issues rather than relying on online or social media advice.
It also says owners who still decide to proceed with a purchase should only buy dogs that have been bred away from extreme body shapes, and use platforms such as the Puppy Contract or The Kennel Club’s Assured Breeder Scheme to avoid unscrupulous sellers.
Although the new plan is focused on influencing public attitudes, and a strategy paper published last year argued progress in tackling brachycephaly welfare impacts had been “slow”, signs show efforts to highlight the problem are starting to make an impact.
Analysis by the online sales site Pets4Homes found that, in 2022, French bulldogs, pugs and American bulldogs attracted the lowest numbers of buyers per dog advertised.
Dogs Trust research also revealed the proportion of pugs, French bulldogs and English bulldogs among interceptions of suspected illegal imports at the UK border fell from 41% in 2016 to just 3% last year.
And the recent decision by the online card retailer Moonpig to end sales of products depicting pugs and French bulldogs has been seen as a significant step forward, which reflects wider public concern on the subject.
But BWG chairperson Dan O’Neill said: “There is still plenty of work to be done, and we need everyone in the UK to pitch in and help turn the tide on the flat-faced dog crisis for good.”
The plan’s release coincided with the annual Crufts dog show, which has come under renewed criticism because of the involvement of brachycephalic breeds.
The RSPCA has called on its supporters to sign an open letter urging The Kennel Club, which organises the event and is also a BWG member organisation, to exclude the breeds.
The charity reported a 37% rise in the number of brachycephalics being brought into its care, while its research indicates a majority (58%) of public support for a ban from the show.
Campaign director Emma Slawinski said the inclusion of brachycephalic breeds in the show “legitimises their exaggerated features and increases their popularity among the public”.
She added: “We completely understand why there is so much love out there for these breeds, but breeding for features that compromise their basic health and welfare is wrong.
“We need to change the general view that these dogs are ‘cute’ and that the symptoms of their health problems are ‘funny’, ‘cute’ or normal for the breed.”
The ban proposal has also been endorsed by other welfare organisations, including PETA and Blue Cross.
But spokesperson for The Kennel Club Bill Lambert argued a ban would be “counterproductive” because of the show’s efforts to promote responsible ownership and breeding.
He said: “We all have shared responsibility to flatten the demand from the general public for unhealthy extremes in dogs, which has been driven by popular culture.
“While some flat-faced dogs lead healthy lives, some have severe respiratory disease and we must tackle these serious health concerns, which is why we have developed a test for this condition – the Respiratory Function Grading Scheme – offered free at Crufts.
“It’s so important that educational platforms like Crufts highlight these issues, provide resources to drive health improvements and signpost people to make responsible decisions when it comes to dog ownership.”
