Companion Animal Care Articles from All-Creatures.org



Making The Breeding of Some Breeds Illegal?

From Nathan Winograd
March 2024

Should it be illegal to breed Dogs that it has been proven are prone to debilitating and sometimes fatal health issues?

purebred Dog

German lawmakers are considering legislation that “seeks to strengthen existing laws on so-called "torture breeding.’” If passed, the law would “ban the reproduction of breeds prone to particular problems, such as the frequent spinal issues seen in dogs with short legs and a long back.” Not surprisingly, breeders and groups that profit from dogs, like the German Kennel Club, are fighting the draft law. Germany is not the only one going after the exploitative breeding industry.

New Hampshire lawmakers debated a bill “to ban the breeding of dogs with known breathing issues.” The American Kennel Club is similarly fighting that bill. They claim there is no evidence that these physical attributes lead to suffering. This is untrue, and they know it (or ought to).

For example, a Norwegian court ruled that the selective breeding of bulldogs and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels violates animal welfare laws protecting animals and is illegal:

"Structurally flattened faces are associated with numerous health problems with varying degrees of severity, including brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS). The condition, as its name suggests, causes breathing difficulties and is associated with exhaustion, overheating, regurgitation, sleep apnea and collapse. Snuffling and snoring, considered by some as an endearing characteristic of brachycephalic breeds, can be a sign they are struggling for oxygen…"

Moreover, a 2017 study based on American pet insurance claims found that dogs with flat faces 'were less healthy than other dogs. They were more prone, for instance, to suffer from heart disease, pneumonia and gastrointestinal problems.'

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