American Kennel Club harms French bulldogs' health, PETA says in suit

Straits Times

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Like other breeds, the French bulldog has its own club that establishes the standard, or physical ideal, for the animal.
An animal rights group accused the American Kennel Club on July 8 of harming the health of French bulldogs and several other popular dog breeds by promoting physical characteristics that cause deformities.
The animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, made the accusation in a lawsuit that seeks to eliminate the kennel club's standards for the breeds, which PETA says conflict with the organisation's stated mission of advancing 'canine health and well-being'.
'The AKC's official breed standards for the bulldog, French bulldog, pug, dachshund and Chinese shar-pei provide blueprints for the breeding of deformed, unhealthy dogs,' the group says in the suit, which was filed in State Supreme Court in Manhattan.
A spokesperson for the American Kennel Club said in a statement that the organisation was reviewing the lawsuit but 'categorically' rejected 'PETA's mis-characterisations of specific breed standards and their assertion that these standards create unhealthy dogs'.
'The health and welfare of dogs are paramount and at the core of our mission,' the spokesperson, Brandi H. Munden, said in the statement.
A substantial portion of PETA's suit focuses on the French bulldog, the most popular dog breed in the United States in 2024 for a third consecutive year after ending the Labrador retriever's 31-year reign in the No. 1 spot, according to the kennel club.
The Frenchie's squat body, wrinkly face and batlike ears have helped make it a must-have, Instagram-ready pet for pop stars, pro athletes, online influencers and others who are able to pay the US$4,000 (S$5,120) to US$6,000 or more needed to buy one as a puppy.
A French Bulldog wears a costume at the Pet Expo Thailand in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 3.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The dogs' popularity has made them targets for thieves across the country, in places including Miami, New York, Chicago, Houston and California, with many stolen at gunpoint. In one notorious robbery,
singer Lady Gaga's two Frenchies were snatched from her dog walker, who was struck, choked and shot in an attack on a Los Angeles sidewalk in 2021.
Like other breeds, the French bulldog has its own club that establishes the standard, or physical ideal, for the animal. The American Kennel Club, which describes itself on its website as 'the world's largest and oldest not-for-profit all-breed registry', reviews, approves and promotes the standards.
The French Bulldog Club of America's board president did not immediately respond to an email inquiry seeking comment about PETA's accusations.
In its suit, PETA, a self-described animal liberation organisation, says the French bulldog standard endorsed by the kennel club requires several deformities, including a large, square head and 'heavy wrinkles forming a soft roll over the extremely short nose'.
Such features, the group argues, result in nostrils that are too narrow to allow for normal breathing and several other abnormalities that can obstruct a dog's airflow.
A dog dressed in a costume participates in a parade of French Bulldogs in Moscow, Russia, on April 27.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Veterinarians have warned that the big heads, bulging eyes and recessed noses that make Frenchies appealing also create what Dan O'Neill, a dog expert at the University of London's Royal Veterinary College, calls 'ultra-predispositions' to medical problems.
The dogs' heads are so large at birth that mothers have trouble delivering naturally; many French bulldog puppies are delivered by cesarean section. Their short, muscular bodies also make conceiving naturally difficult. Breeders often rely on artificial insemination.
Of greatest concern to researchers such as O'Neill is the Frenchie's flat face and its effect on breathing. The dogs often sound like they are snoring even when fully awake, can tire easily and are susceptible to the heat. They also can develop rashes in their folds of skin. Because of their bulging eyes, some French bulldogs are incapable of fully blinking.
O'Neill is among a group of veterinary surgeons and dog experts in Britain who have urged prospective buyers to 'stop and think before buying a flat-faced dog', a category that includes English bulldogs, pugs, Shih Tzus, Pekingese and boxers in addition to Frenchies.
In its suit, PETA cites the potential risk of breathing problems and overheating that pugs face as a result of their flat faces, as well as the potential for injury because of their 'marbly eyes'.
Dachshunds, the suit says, can suffer from 'the animal equivalent of a poorly designed bridge' because of their short legs and long backs. Shar-peis, according to the suit, can be prone to fever and inflammation known as shar-pei auto-inflammatory disease. NYTIMES