Many owners have blamed The Kennel Club’s strict breed standards that are said to encourage unhealthy facial features in brachycephalic dogs, though in a statement to The Daily Telegraph, spokesman Bill Lambert refuted this. “Breed standards describe a dog’s characteristics and are reviewed and informed by ongoing breed-specific health data, and are explicit that any conditions or exaggerations which are detrimental to health should be avoided – but they aren’t a reference point for the majority,” said Lambert.
“We urgently need to see people choosing dogs not just because they like the way they look, which is often driven by celebrity and social media, and instead find responsible breeders who use the tools available and prioritise health, as described in the breed standard. We continue to work with vets, welfare organisations and breed clubs to urge would-be owners to ‘stop and think before buying a flat-faced dog’, and to curb the increasing numbers of rogue breeders filling demand for these dogs.” This is a similar position to the one taken by the Blue Cross, which advocates for cracking down on rogue breeders.
Since 2020, the pet charity says its vets have treated over 5,000 brachycephalic animals with breathing operations, eye-injuring repairs and emergency C-sections.
“Numerous health problems have stemmed from a vicious cycle of overbreeding to meet the astronomical demand for flat-faced breeds such as French bulldogs and pugs,” said Becky Thwaites, head of public affairs at Blue Cross: “We’re calling on the Government to crackdown on irresponsible breeders.”
Marc Jeffreys, a breeder who operates Blue Frenchies UK in Manchester, refutes the suggestion that responsible breeders are to blame.
“We do five tests on both the parents before we’d consider breeding from them,” he says. “There are DNA tests which can test for hereditary conditions like cataracts. We also get all our dogs tested by certified British Veterinary Association and get the dogs BOAS-graded which has to be done by a Cambridge-trained vet to make sure their breathing is healthy. Finally, there’s a test from the French Bulldog Club of England stipulating we have to get a vet to check the dogs’ ears and skin folds and grade them.”
Jeffreys feels that the likes of The Kennel Club could do more to deter the issue.
“The thing is, it’s their fault,” he claims. “They don’t do enough checks. If the mum and dad are registered, they will happily register the puppy without doing further checks. They aren’t making sure that people are doing all these health tests. The Assured Breeders Scheme makes sure breeders have to do the tests and meet the standards I mention, but The Kennel Club aren’t thorough enough for other breeders.”
Perkes is sticking by her dogs – she just wishes they could have a happier life.