Have you ever tried breathing through a straw while holding your nose? If not, you should try it. You’ll quickly realize that you’re short of breath and if you try to run, it becomes almost impossible to breathe. This is pretty much how several dog breeds with flat noses feel. The desire to breed dogs with as short noses as possible has led to breeds like the French Bulldog and Pug where the nostrils, oral cavity and throat are so narrow that the dogs struggle to breathe. All to make them “cute” in our eyes. But is it even acceptable to breed dogs – or cats – with congenital disabilities that prevent them from living a normal life just to satisfy human desires?
Breeding should not lead to suffering
The Animal Ethics Council clearly believes that this is not acceptable. Breeding can be beneficial as long as it ensures healthy animals that can live without defects. But when breeding focuses on extreme physical traits that directly harm the animals, we reduce their quality of life. At worst, we become responsible for the offspring living with pain, permanent injury and significant disadvantages – contrary to section 2 of the Animal Welfare Act, which obliges us to protect animals from unnecessary suffering. The question is, are we really a dog’s best friend – or do we just see ourselves as one?
Years of criticism with no effect
As early as 1999, in its Opinion on the breeding of dogs and cats, the Animal Ethical Council warned against the negative consequences of targeted breeding for appearance. At that time, the Council recommended that breeders, specialty clubs and show judges take responsibility. When no improvement was seen, the criticism was repeated in 2008 with a stronger call for legislative action if the industry did not resolve the problem itself. Since then, the Council has repeatedly tried to raise awareness of the issue – but without significant change. The dogs are still suffering.
Time for action – legislation as a solution
Therefore, the Animal Ethics Council has now called on the Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Jacob Jensen, to take the necessary steps. Already in 2014, a possibility to regulate the breeding of family and hobby animals was introduced, but it has not been used. The Council recognizes that such legislation can be difficult to enforce, but it will send a clear signal about what we as a society accept. Other countries with similar legislation are now seeing the first court cases in this area, showing that enforcement is possible. Denmark should follow suit and ensure rules that cover not only dogs and cats, but also other hobby and family pets. Perhaps this could even be the beginning of a wider debate on breeding goals for agricultural animals, where animal welfare is often also overlooked.
