Animal Lovers

Now vets and animal welfare groups have said enough is enough. They claim that the marketing is increasing demand for dogs with deformities. They have written a joint letter to the companies involved asking them to stop using these dogs, even cartoon versions, to prevent welfare crisis. Credit : The Register The animals’ faces have been so flattened and distorted by selective breeding that they suffer severe health problems, including breathing difficulties caused by restricted airways, eye disease and infections resulting from skin folds. Yet the popularity of brachycephalic, or flat-faced, breeds continues to rocket, aided by celebrity owners such by Lady Gaga, David Beckham and Holly Willoughby. The number of French bulldogs registered with the Kennel Club has increased 30-fold in ten years — from 670 in 2007 to 21,470 last year. Pug numbers have trebled and bulldogs doubled. The letter from the Brachycephalic Working Group (BWG), which includes the British Veterinary A...