First Germany, Now Westminster? PETA Calls On Kennel Club to Ban Deliberately Deformed Dog Breeds

For Immediate Release:
April 4, 2024

Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382

New York –

Lawmakers around the world are introducing bills that would ban the breeding of dogs who are the victims of “torture breeding”—bred to have such malformed noses and shortened faces that they endure a lifetime of breathing problems or bred to have dangerously lengthened spines—so PETA rushed a letter today to Westminster Kennel Club President and Show Chair Donald G. Sturz calling on him to act responsibly and humanely by prohibiting dachshunds and breathing-impaired breeds (BIB), such as French bulldogs and pugs, from competing in the Westminster dog show.

In its letter, PETA points out that Germany recently proposed a ban on breeding dogs with “skeletal anomalies”—including dachshunds, whose long spines and stubby legs often result in herniated discs and other painful back and joint problems that require surgery or are fatal. Meanwhile, lawmakers in New Hampshire last month proposed a similar bill to ban the breeding of French bulldogs and other flat-faced dogs, whose deliberately distorted airways can lead to a multitude of health problems, expensive medical procedures, and premature death—and whose reproductive systems are so malformed that they can’t breed or give birth normally and are bred using artificial insemination and delivered via cesarean section instead.

“Disqualifying deliberately deformed dogs from the competition is the least the Westminster Kennel Club can do after years of recklessly driving demand for the creation of dogs prone to a lifetime of suffering,” says PETA Vice President of Evidence Analysis Daniel Paden. “PETA is calling on this organization to stop promoting Frankendogs who are deliberately inbred to be malformed simply to provide a look that some humans fancy and urges everyone to adopt dogs and never to buy them from breeders or pet stores.”

PETA notes that most, if not all, “top” dog breeds suffer from numerous ailments because of generations of selective breeding. Bulldogs, pugs, and other BIBs suffer from brachycephalic airway syndrome, which makes breathing nearly impossible for them and is the leading cause of death for bulldogs. German shepherds and golden retrievers suffer from epilepsy and hip and elbow dysplasia. Cavalier King Charles spaniels’ skulls are too small for their brains, forcing the brain tissue to protrude through the base of the skull—a condition called syringomyelia—and dachshunds face a higher risk of lifelong spinal, knee, and other joint problems. Breeding any dog contributes to the homeless-animal crisis, with more than 70 million dogs and cats homeless in the U.S. at any given time.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.