Dog Struggling to Breathe? The PETA Foundation Wants to Hear From Families of Flat-Faced Fidos

For Immediate Release:
July 20, 2023

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

A new sky-high appeal from PETA Foundation attorneys has just appeared on S. Sepulveda Boulevard encouraging guardians of “purebred,” flat-faced dogs to contact them if their pup has trouble breathing—they might have a legal case against the American Kennel Club (AKC).

Breathing-impaired breeds—including bulldogs, pugs, boxers, Boston terriers, shih tzus, Cavalier King Charles spaniels, and other flat-faced breeds—tend to suffer from a multitude of health problems due to their deliberately distorted and restricted airways, which can shorten their lives and cause them to pant, snort, wheeze, and struggle just to breathe—all in order to achieve the specific look the AKC requires. The club could greatly reduce the number of dogs who develop these issues by changing its breed standards—either voluntarily or by court order.

“The AKC encourages people to breed and buy dogs with deformed faces, even though it knows full well that they tend to suffer throughout their lives and that many will die prematurely,” says PETA Foundation Associate Director of Litigation Zeynep Graves. “Since the AKC has refused to change its standards of its own accord, the PETA Foundation is prepared to take legal action on behalf of guardians whose dogs experience these problems.”

A number of countries—including Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway—have already banned or restricted the breeding of some or all breathing-impaired breeds.

The billboard is located at 2347 S. Sepulveda Blvd. (near the intersection with W. Pico Boulevard), close to several veterinary practices, companion animal supply stores, and dog groomers.