Freak pups seen as ‘novelty’

EXPERTS say the huge increase in dog fertility clinics has prompted a worrying wave of “Frankenstein puppies”.

This is when breeds of dogs unable to reproduce naturally are mated in a lab using artificial insemination to create freakish-looking pups.

We revealed last month that two breeders running fertility clinics in Scotland were facing court action amid claims they carried out unregulated veterinary procedures. One produces hairless bulldogs which sell for up to £40,000 – believed to be a cross between French bulldogs, pugs and Chinese crested dogs.

Another worrying trend experts have observed across the UK is French bulldogs being crossed with hulking huskies twice their size.

And some clinics use fertility treatments to create “pocket bulldogs”. This is a tiny version of the American bulldog which can suffer excruciating mobility issues as it has been crossed with other breeds to exaggerate deformities. Natalie Harney, campaigns manager at Naturewatch, said: “Clinics are coming up with these weird and wonderful combinations to get that novelty factor. Our concern is people mating dogs who have really extreme features with one another. It’s the Instagrammable, headline-grabbing factors that people appear to be going for.

“They are then creating what we would call these Frankenstein dogs which are destined to have skin issues, these really flat faces, bulging eyes and stubby legs.”