Brachycephalic dogs need more help, warns The Kennel Club

A new report has called for further action to protect the welfare of brachycephalic dogs, despite an apparent decline in public demand for them.

Registrations of some individual breeds were down by more than one-third in the first half of this year, according to data released by The Kennel Club.

But, although it opposes the idea of banning their ownership altogether, the group said all stakeholders, including vets, can still do more to safeguard the wider population.

Demand

The Kennel Club spokesperson Bill Lambert said: “There will always be a demand for brachycephalic-type dogs – they are much-loved pets by millions in the UK. But it is imperative that we work together to improve how they are bred and bought, and how they are cared for throughout their lives.”

The new Play Your Part document contains 27 separate recommendations for action by vets, government agencies, breeders and prospective pet owners alike.

It calls for veterinary professionals to record all Caesarean sections they perform on registered bitches with The Kennel Club, warning that its work is being “hampered” by some clinicians not doing so, along with other corrective surgery.

It also advocates the promotion of a health assessment consultation framework to help inform decisions over breeding and an increase in the number of vets becoming Respiratory Function Grading (RFG) scheme assessors.

Recommendations

Other recommendations include a ban on the use of brachycephalic dogs in advertising and the development of central licensing units for England, Scotland and Wales which the group believes would “enhance the implementation of respective breeding regulations”.

Mr Lambert said vets’ support for the RFG scheme developed in a partnership between the club and the University of Cambridge was critical to ensure sufficient capacity existed for more extensive health testing to take place.

He added: “The recommendations outlined in this report, which is very much focused on collaborative action, aim to improve the welfare of those dogs already owned by many and those yet to be bred.

“As well as making this a priority ourselves, we are calling on the Government, breeders, dog owners, vets, rehoming centres, insurance companies and online sellers to play a part, and to help us in our mission to ensure dogs are bred and owned responsibly, and live healthy, happy lives.”

More than two million dogs, the equivalent of around one-fifth of the entire UK canine population, are estimated to be brachycephalic, with around one-third of them being registered with The Kennel Club.

Starting to slide

Despite the enormous growth in numbers over recent years, with a 764% increase in French bulldog registrations alone during the past decade, the report suggests that demand for brachycephalic breeds may now be starting to slide.

The club’s own figures show registrations of both English bulldogs and pugs were down by 35% in the first six months of this year, compared to the same period in 2022.

The number of French bulldogs registered also fell by 28%, although that still equates to more than 15,000 new registrations, while the report also cited Pets4Homes data showing the numbers of rehomed English and French bulldogs fell by 49.6% and 47.6% over the same period.

The debate about how best to safeguard brachycephalic dogs has taken on a new dimension in recent months amid proposals to ban their ownership in the Netherlands.

But the report argued that such a measure would be unenforceable and could even encourage the development of new types that were even more likely to suffer the type of health issues that current breeds face.

‘Welfare crisis’

It also warned of the potential to alienate existing owners and the risk of a “welfare crisis” if owners abandoned their pets out of fear for their long-term prognosis and the associated costs, suggesting that lessons could be drawn from the consequences observed following the introduction of the Dangerous Dogs Act.

The report said: “The act is acknowledged to have served to drive the breeding of these dogs underground and may have further fuelled the health and welfare crisis of illegally bred and imported dogs.

“This has led to large numbers of unregistered animals whose owners, breeders and potential buyers can’t easily be reached or influenced.”

A launch event to promote and discuss the report’s findings was held in Westminster on 27 November, following a similar recent session at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.

Conservative MP Giles Watling, who sponsored the Westminster event, said: “This report shows that we all have a part to play in improving the health of these popular pets.

“Clearly the issues are not straightforward and I hope that collaborative action will continue and evolve, to protect and improve dog health.”