Pugs and French bulldog breeding programmes could be cracked down on in the UK, it has been reported. The crackdown could come in for ‘dangerous’ breeding that sparks health issues among the dogs.
A pet charity has vowed to crack down on the breeds. The Blue Cross says breeders are guilty of a "vicious cycle of over-breeding", Birmingham Live reports.
Becky Thwaites, head of public affairs at Blue Cross told The Sun: "We have already started contacting MPs. Ultimately Blue Cross is determined to see the end of the poor breeding of flat faced dogs and are considering all options both legislative and non-legislative to achieve this."
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The animal charity believes the rise of "cute" advertisements on social media has prompted the rise in demand, which has lead to the increase in cases of French Bulldogs and Pugs being diagnosed with health issues. Some French Bulldogs can be diagnosed with conditions such as pulmonic stenosis, which is where the dog has 3/6 heart murmur, a genetic in the breed.
The charity - founded in 1897 - are demanding both legislative and non-legislative action to stamp out "poor breeding" which leads to major health defects in popular breeds like English Bulldogs. The calls could result in new laws being drawn up which will significantly impact the appearance and availability of brachycephalic (flat-faced) breeds in the UK.
Around 20 per cent of the dogs in the UK are now flat-faced breeds, the charity adds. But the explosion in popularity has only exacerbated poor breeding. Blue Cross vets claim to have treated over 5,000 brachycephalic pets in the last two years alone.
There are four breeds of dog that are banned in the UK. They are the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro. The government states that "whether your dog is a banned type depends on what it looks like, rather than its breed or name."
The RSPCA argues that dogs "should not be judged on how they look" and have called for the policy to be changed. If you have a banned dog the police or council warden can take it away, even if it's not acting dangerously or there has not been a complaint.
If the dog is in a public place the police can confiscate the animal, however, if it's in a private place the police need a warrant.
