06/08/20 In order to be cute, they can't breathe
Animal Friends Croatia welcomes the Dutch legal ban on breeding animals that harm their health.
Pugs, bulldogs and other breeds with shortened muzzles suffer from numerous health problems
Animal Friends Croatia welcomes the Netherland's decision in which pedigrees for the so-called brachycephalic breeds of dogs, namely those with shortened blunt muzzles such as Pugs, French and English bulldogs, King Charles Spaniels, etc. are no longer needed. The decision is in line with Dutch law, which prohibits the breeding of animals with physical characteristics that may be harmful to their health and offspring. The Dutch Kennel Club had to adapt to this by no longer issuing pedigrees for these breeds, only certificates of origin that will make it easier for the authorities to identify breeders who do not comply with the law.
Veterinarians and animal welfare organizations have been warning for decades that dogs, cats, and rabbits with shortened muzzles suffer immensely, as confirmed by scientific research. The popularization of breeds with short flattened muzzles through advertisements further aggravated the situation. „It is frightening that appearance is a priority in breeding, so selective breeding creates animals with extreme physical characteristics that cause them many serious health problems and limitations throughout their lives. Due to the specific shape of the muzzle, head, and neck, brachycephalic dogs often have chronic breathing problems“, warns Animal Friends Croatia.
„Unfortunately, the consequences often affect the quality of their lives due to a number of other health problems. Brachycephalic animals were partially or completely handicapped throughout their lives, and their caregivers were not even aware that by choosing an animal by appearance they were simultaneously gaining a lifelong patient. It is not normal or typical for an animal to breathe, snore, choke, vomit, or walk sloppily. It is a genotypic and phenotypic malformation that prevents a dog from living a normal life and negatively affects its well being“, point out veterinarians from the Croatian Department of Veterinary Practice.
Animal Friends Croatia adds that these dogs are also prone to heat strokes and problems with eyes, skin, teeth, digestion, and heart. Due to cruel and insane breeding standards, many breeds have excessive physical characteristics that make it difficult for them to function on a daily basis. They cannot mate on their own so they artificially inseminate them and give birth to puppies by cesarean section because their heads are too big. On the other hand, we have crowded shelters for vaccinated and healthy dogs waiting to be adopted.
In addition to the many listed health problems, regardless of their breed, breeding also results in spinal problems, hip dysplasia, knee sprains, arthritis, heart failure, encephalitis, obesity, and a predisposition for cancer. Mating of closely related animals, which is a characteristic of breeding, leads to health problems and genetically inherited diseases. Puppies are taken away from their mothers at a very young age and their mothers are known to get sick from frequent givings of birth.
„So-called purebred animals are victims of human obsession and heartless treatment in which man takes it upon himself to determine the appearance of a dog or a cat as if he were choosing the color and size of a car and manipulating their reproduction and life. Dogs and other animals that are used for breeding do not exist to fulfill our wishes and desires, nor are we allowed to create „tailor-made“ specimens. Our aesthetic demands for other animals are unnatural, unjustified, cruel, and ethically unacceptable. Therefore, we invite everyone to adopt instead of buying,“, concludes Animal Friends Croatia.