Animal Welfare Organizations and Vets in the Netherlands call for Emergency Action: Don’t buy flat faced dogs
In a joint campaign animal welfare organisations and vets are launching a large consumer-oriented campaign, calling people to refrain from buying an flat faced dog that does not meet the breed characteristics set out by law. Dogs with a flat face such as the pug and the English and French bulldog are very popular, but many suffer severely from their extreme looks.
Caring Vets (CV), Dier&Recht (D&R), Sophia-Vereeniging (SV), DierenLot and the companion animals cluster of the professional association of veterinarians, jointly aim to draw attention to the suffering of these dogs. Other organisations are welcome to join the initiative.
For a number of weeks, in large cities and along highways, posters are being placed with the slogan: A flat-face is a disgrace (platte neus zieke keus) and A flat face comes at a price (een korte snuit komt met een prijs). The campaign will be posted on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as well, in order to reach as many people as possible, urging them to not buy these dogs. Furthermore, flyers and door/window posters will be available for shops and waiting rooms, and to be distributed. For more information there is a website available: www.koopgeenkortsnuit.nl
A LIFE TIME OF SUFFERING
Flat-faced dogs such as pugs and French bulldogs are considered droll, for looking cute and for their snoring. However, the snoring isn’t cute, but sad. The sound is caused by blocked air ways, a symptom of severe respiratory distress. Furthermore, the short nose and the characteristic stocky build cause a myriad of other health issues.
Flat faced dogs:
· Quickly get overheated when being walked
· Suffer sleep apnoea
· Have painful eye disorders
· Have difficulty eating and suffer from dental problems
· Have painful inflammations in the nose fold
· Have injuries in the eye, caused by the hairs of the nose fold irritating the eye
· Have vertebral abnormalities, causing back- and neck hernias
· Having an abnormal build, reproduction is only possible by means of artificial insemination
· Due to the pelvis of the mother being too small for the large head of the puppy, the pups can only be delivered by a c-section.
HIGH MEDICAL COSTS
Besides their extreme suffering, these dogs come with a price. The purchase price of a flat-faced dog is in the range of about 1,500 to 2,500 euros. On top of that, the new owner is often not aware of further veterinary costs, such as operations on the air ways, operations on the eye, corrections of the nose fold, the treatment of hernias and so on. The costs can mount to about three or four times the purchase costs.
IT IS UP TO THE CONSUMER!
In the Netherlands it is illegal to breed flat faced dogs, but it is still allowed to buy or sell them. If these dogs are no longer purchased, trading and breeding will ultimately stop, which would result in increased wellbeing of these dogs. Regulations have been drawn up to improve the standard of breeding. Only buy a dog with a proper snout!
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE THE OWNER OF A FLAT FACE DOG?
If you have a flat-faced dog. It is wise to have the dog checked by the vet. Through operations the nostrils can be widened, the palate shortened, and excess skin folds removed, which allows the dog to breathe. With the excess nose fold removed, dogs no longer suffers painful inflammations, and correction of the eye lids will prevent eye infections. Other treatments will alleviate further suffering of these dogs. Go to your vet for consultation.
Furthermore, it is important to prevent obesity, which only exacerbates the symptoms.
STOP THE SUFFERING OF THESE DOGS AND JOIN US
Veterinarians, animal clinics, grooming salons, dog schools, and other organisations who wish to support the campaign can sign up on the website: www.koopgeenkortsnuit.nl and receive an information package for the waiting room, or a door/window poster for a shop or practice.
This campaign is an initiative of animal welfare organisations and veterinarians: the Sophia-Vereeniging, Dier&Recht, Caring Vets, DierenLot, and the cluster companion animals of the professional association of veterinarians.
Quotes:
Kelly Kessen, veterinarian at Dier&Recht:
Look into the mirror and imagine yourself having the looks of a pug or French bulldog. Do you want to have a nose fold in front of your eyes, with hair sticking into them. Do you want to snore and gasp for every breath? Try and put yourself in their place: whatever you don’t want for yourself, you shouldn’t want for your dog either!
Nina Cohen policy adviser at the Sophia-Vereeniging:
Real animal lovers do not buy a flat-faced dog
Janneke Moedt of Caring Vets:
For 18 years I have worked as a vet for dogs. Now I am a cat veterinarian. All these health issues, as a result of breeding for specific external characteristics. I could not stand it anymore.
Conny van Meurs veterinarian at the KNMvD:
Every day we are faced with the consequences of noses that are too short. Hopefully this campaign will reach consumers, making them aware of this issue and consequently choosing a healthy dog with a nose.
Download and share the posters: PUG • AMERICAN BULLDOG • FRENCH BULLDOG • PUG2
Leave a reply
You have a fight on your hands & shame on you pushing this agenda as Pugs are one of the oldest historical dogs that we’re breed from China in 400 BC. Spare me!!! We have been contacted by people in your country to be a voice, well here ya go! Wake up & stop pushing an agenda that’s not necessary. I’m in the dog business & as an example, mutts like doodles are a major issue as they are out of balance with genetic issues & over protective aggressive behavior. Poodle always comes out of the doodle! I have loads of pugs, Bull dogs etc. that have attended my business’s for years with No Breathing issues. My best advice is look into breeders in your country that don’t breed a pug the way they should be breed, that’s an option. If you can’t handle the breathing issues or the look of a flat face dog maybe you should consider another career, just sayin.
ReplyFind something else to attack,
Alecia Nelson
I don’t agree, pugs are an ancient breed that exist and has survived for more than 2000 years. The problem is overbreeding and puppymils. Not only is this a problem with flat nosed breeds but any other ‘popular’ dog breed. German sheperds suffer back pains because their hind legs are too short… Cavalier king charles dogs suffer from migraines becauses their cranium is too small etc… I really think this should be the focus, breeding more healthy dogs and only allowing certified breeders to sell pups, but not to exterminate every flat nosed dog!
ReplyThe words that are spoken by Kelly Kessen: Is this a vet? Really?? A vet who talks without love about animals? Without love about a breed that exists for more than 2000 years? And you (fecava.org) publish these words? Shame on you.
As if every short-snout is unhealthy!!? I happen to know thousands (!) of pugs who are perfectly healthy. So this campaign is very racist, and one-sided, misleading and incorrect. You can not judge a human or animal on their looks. This is wrong. And everyone knows this.
Any concern about the short snouts who are born in puppy mills is understandable but what’s happening here, this campaign, this is totally out of control. This is more like a girl fight in high school. You’re adults aren’t you? But the way this campaign is being rolled out, I can’t believe this is done by adults, or sensible humans. Or people who have studied. Impossible. You should all be very very ashamed of the mess you’re making. This is not about love for a dog, or trying to help. This is the worst.
ReplyThis article is not based on real facts. I know thousands of healthy pugs. Without breathing problems. Pugs live for more then 2000 years and are here to keep us company, not for hunting or other tasks like that.
ReplyYou, doctor, should be ashamed of yourself for publishing this article without knowing the real facts about these awesome dogs.
What a terrible campaign this is. It has nothing to do with ‘all short snouts’. I know so many pugs that have no trouble breathing at all. They get 14+ years old. Shame on you for making this campaign without looking any further.
ReplySomeone explain to me who does this type of campaign? Have you had a pug in your life? or they simply imagine things that honestly don’t have to happen to these majestic pets. my pug is 15 years old and still runs, eats well and snores. leave the pugs alone
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