Fury at ‘cruel’ bulldog trend
VETS and animal welfare groups have criticised breeders for creating hairless French bulldogs, arguing they have created a “monster” vulnerable to cancer.
Sharing a photo of a puppy named Bonsai in a Christmas hat, US website Major League Frenchies boasted: “It is our great pleasure to introduce to you guys the very first young adult hairless hypoallergenic French bulldog to enter the US.”
The post was met with dismay by vets already struggling to cope with breeders creating unhealthy dogs to cope with rising demand.
Cristina Diaz-madronero, a vet who specialises in dermatology, says the hairless puppies face painful acne, dermatitis and are at increased risk of skin cancer.
“I was so horrified when I saw this poor dog,” she said.
“The breeders have created a monster. French bulldogs already have the short straw when it comes to health. They have almost no mouth and no nose, so have breathing issues, and many of my clients who come to me with skin conditions are French bulldogs.”
She added: “They suffer with environmental allergies and atopic dermatitis, but to take the fur away, it’s horrendous, it’s so cruel.
“These poor dogs are at risk of sunburn and cancer and for what? They claim it’s hypoallergenic but it’s not, at all.
“It’s not a breed that nature would create and it is the dogs that will suffer.”
A spokesman for Major League Frenchies, which is not a breeder, said: “The dog is in excellent condition. People just fear what is unknown and hate any kind of change.
“There are many breeds that are hairless and are as healthy as can be. They have been around for hundreds of years.
“I did not breed the dogs that produced her, I simply purchased her from China.
“As for the dog, she lives like a prince since I did pay a large amount for her.”
Teresa Cargill, from UK charity Phoenix French Bulldog Rescue, has helped rehome hundreds of unwanted Frenchies and says she has had calls from geneticists who fear similar dogs will be bred here.
As a charity, she regularly sees the results of backyard breeding where people who are not licensed and breed as a hobby allow animals who have not been screened for health conditions to mate, leading to pups with a range of health problems.
She said: “There is no reason to breed these dogs other than for shock value. They’re for people who want to have something different.”