17 May 2021
The Kennel Club has published new data showing registrations for English and French bulldogs hit record highs during 2020.
Joshua Silverwood
Job Title
New data has revealed ownership of brachycephalic dogs has continued to increase across the UK as lockdown saw a boom in the puppy trade.
Figures published by The Kennel Club on 14 May show a record high in 2020 for registrations of English and French bulldogs, causing concern to the Brachycephalic Working Group (BWG).
The group argues that most owners of brachycephalic dogs aren’t aware of the many maladies and health issues these breeds can suffer.
Both English and French bulldogs increased in popularity by 17% in 2020 compared to 2019, with 39,266 French bulldog puppies and 11,594 bulldog puppies registered.
Searches for French bulldog puppies on The Kennel Club’s find a puppy service more than doubled – increasing by 112% from March to December.
BWG chairman Dan O’Neill said: “The UK public has been sold a fantasy that ‘flat-faced’ breeds are cute, but the suffering endured by many of these dogs has been ignored.
“As well as health issues such as struggling to breathe, many puppies sold in the UK are bred indiscriminately and many are farmed in appalling conditions, often outside the UK. With this in mind, we ask the UK public to ‘stop and think before buying a flat-faced dog’.
“As a caring society, we must take action now to put the needs of these dogs above our human desires to own dogs just because of how they look.”
Bill Lambert – head of health and welfare at The Kennel Club, and member of the BWG – added: “If you have done extensive research on all the dogs and breeds out there, understand any health concerns, have thought carefully about these and still think a brachycephalic breed is right for you, it’s absolutely crucial to find a reputable breeder who puts health first.”
