5 Feb 2025
Veterinary and welfare organisations have committed themselves to a host of new commitments intended to help address the health issues faced by brachycephalic breeds.
Image: © Petra Richli / Adobe Stock
A coalition of veterinary and welfare groups has called for a new collective drive to tackle what they see as the health and welfare “crisis” related to brachycephalic dogs.
Leaders of the UK Brachycephaly Working Group (BWG) have warned “there are no longer any excuses” for failing to act responsibly on the issue.
The group has set out eight specific commitments that its members, including the BVA and BSAVA, have pledged to adopt and that it wants others to adhere to as well.
BWG chairperson Dan O’Neill said: “Moving away from normalisation of extreme body shapes in dogs requires active commitment from everyone who cares about dogs to finally say ‘no more’ to this suffering.
“These new BWG commitments finally make it explicit how organisations should behave to protect future dogs from having extreme body shapes.
“There are no longer any excuses for being part of the problem rather than the solution.”
Officials hope the future health of brachycephalic dogs can be protected through the support of businesses, organisations and individuals concerned with canine welfare to the following commitments:
Victoria Phillips, veterinary surgeon manager for Dogs Trust, which is also a BWG member, said: “Extreme conformation, including brachycephaly, is one of the biggest welfare challenges for dogs in the UK right now.
“All dogs deserve to have a life worth living, so Dogs Trust fully supports these commitments from the BWG, which provide practical guidance to supporting the change that’s urgently needed.”
