PETA sues American Kennel Club over French bulldogs, other breed standards

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is suing the American Kennel Club, arguing its standards for French bulldogs, pugs and other short-snout breeds encourage dangerous breeding of the animals.

“If a dog is gasping just to breathe, something is seriously wrong,” PETA said in a statement on its lawsuit. “French bulldogs, pugs, and other intentionally deformed breeds wheeze, snort, and struggle to breathe because the American Kennel Club (AKC) breed standards prioritize dogs’ appearance over their health.”

In a statement to The Hill, the AKC said it “categorically rejects PETA’s mischaracterizations of specific breed standards and their assertion that these standards create unhealthy dogs.”

“The health and welfare of dogs are paramount and at the core of our mission,” the nation’s largest dog breed registry said. “AKC advocates that all dogs be bred to produce healthy, well-adjusted companions.”

“AKC remains proud of its legacy and resolute in its mission to protect the health, heritage, and well-being of purebred dogs — now and into the future,” it added.

In its suit, PETA argues that the AKC’s criteria for the breeds favor “extremely short” noses and “massive” heads for English bulldogs, French bulldogs, pugs and similar stature dogs.

“Their snouts are pushed so far back against their skulls that their crumpled, constricted airways make it hard just to breathe,” PETA said in its statement on the lawsuit. “It can be difficult or even impossible for breathing-impaired dogs … to run, play or even take a single deep breath.”

The AKC, though, said it isn’t responsible for developing the breed standards and relies on criteria submitted by national breed clubs “devoted to the preservation, protection, and advancement of individual breeds.”

“These clubs are the experts on their breed and their breed standards that reflect decades of collaboration with veterinary experts and breeders to preserve breed integrity while prioritizing health, form, and function,” the AKC said in its statement.

French bulldogs have ranked among the most popular breeds in the U.S. over the past decade.

Meanwhile, other countries have made efforts to discourage the intentional breeding of designer dogs with shorter snouts. The British Veterinary Association is involved in an ongoing campaign to raise awareness of health issues for brachycephalic dogs, and the Netherlands has passed laws discouraging flat-faced breeds.