Fatal flaw in our flat-face fixation
Reveals a little of the dirty secret behind those cute designer dogs.
Trade Me’s decision to ban the sale of bulldogs and pugs from March 1 could be a world first for an online trading site, but the plight of so-called brachycephalic, or flatfaced, dogs is causing alarm worldwide.
As precious as they are to their owners, these animals often have severe breathing issues and health conditions caused by irresponsible breeding that exaggerates desirable features like short snouts.
Such concerns prompted the British Veterinary Association this month to issue a strong policy position on the health and welfare of brachycephalic dogs, with the self-explanatory hashtag: #breedtobreathe. The association is calling for healthier breeding standards and asking that images of pugs and bulldogs not be used in advertising and social media campaigns.
A chain of veterinary practices in Wales has gone a step further, announcing that its vets will no longer assist breeders of flat-faced dogs. ‘‘Our team feel very strongly that the huge current demand for brachycephalic puppies is causing a veterinary health crisis, which will only worsen as the current puppies and young dogs become older.’’
The vets say they will treat existing pets but will no longer check brachycephalic bitches before mating, or treat infertility issues. They will also ‘‘strongly advise’’ people not to buy flat-faced or short-muzzled puppies.
The New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA), in supporting the Trade Me ban, has expressed disappointment that, unlike other jurisdictions, our government is doing nothing to regulate the commercial dog-breeding industry.
NZVA Companion Animal spokeswoman Rochelle Ferguson says she and other vets see firsthand the consequences of poorly bred animals.
‘‘The catalogue of animal misery from irresponsible matings is a long one, from the young french bulldog that has an airway so small it faints from lack of oxygen every time it vomits (developing life-threatening pneumonia from inhaling its stomach contents in the process) to the middle-aged pug that has lost its eyesight from the constant rubbing of a misshapen eyelid.’’
But the plight of flat-faced dog breeds is part of a much wider global problem. Rampant pet consumerism, fuelled by online shopping, has spawned a flourishing global trade in designer dogs.
In the United States there are an estimated 10,000 puppy mills, as they are called there. In Ireland industrial-scale operations are reported to have as many as 700 breeding bitches, churning out puppies to order. In these typically miserable and inhumane places mother dogs and stud males remain locked in cages their whole lives and have half the life expectancy of the average dog.
Irish battery farms are said to be producing more than 30,000 puppies a year for the UK market. But even production on this scale can’t meet the demand. Increasingly, puppies are being smuggled into the UK from farms in central and Eastern Europe. The number of illegally imported puppies stopped at Britain’s borders has reportedly more than trebled in three years. Puppies now rank as the third most valuable illegally traded commodity in the European Union after narcotics and arms.
While large-scale dog factories are not part of the New Zealand scene, as far as anyone knows, we do have plenty of unscrupulous backyard breeders cashing in on the boom in designer dogs. With french bulldog pups and other fashionable crossbreeds now selling for up to $3000, it’s not hard to see why it has become such a lucrative business.
Cutesy photos on online trading sites are one thing, but the reality is that many of these puppies are sold with genetic defects. Add to that behavioural issues caused by lack of human contact and poor socialisation and many unwitting buyers are truly being sold a pup.
But the real ‘‘dirty secret’’ of this industry is the dogs the public never sees – the parents who typically live in filthy enclosures with untreated health conditions.
While vets and animal welfare organisations are calling for tighter regulations to tackle indiscriminate breeding practices, we, the public, could be playing a much bigger role. Interestingly, many of us seek out free-range eggs and Fair Trade coffee and chocolate, mindful of the conditions in which they are produced. However, it seems few of us apply the same ethical choices to sourcing pets. As consumers we need to wise up and stop feeding this industry by making better choices.
Animal welfare groups have plenty of advice to help people avoid supporting irresponsible dog breeders. As a general rule they say never buy pups from pet shops or online and consider adopting rather than purchasing a new puppy.
If you are seeking a particular breed or crossbreed, they advise seeking out a reputable breeder or adopting from a breed-specific rescue organisation. It is only when we start exercising these choices that we have any hope of limiting this cruel industry and sparing the misery of the animals enslaved to it.
❚ Anna Kenna is a Wellingtonbased journalist and children’s author. Her just-released novel, Viola Vincent Reporting Underdog, is about the designer dog industry and the quest by a young girl to save a breeding bitch captive in a puppy farm.