Respiratory problems, arthritis… Their flat nose causes them a lot of suffering.
And to try to put an end to it definitively, the Dutch government indicated this Friday that it wanted to ban the possession of pets which suffer from genetic mutations giving them a “cute” appearance, including dogs with short muzzles.
"When choosing a pet, people often choose features that they find cute, such as dogs with short muzzles or cats with folded ears," the ministry said in a statement. Agriculture.
The list of animals whose possession the government wants to prohibit has yet to be established.
A list of physical characteristics that can be objectively determined to cause permanent suffering is under consideration, the ministry said.
Genetically modified animals have characteristics obtained as a result of a genetic mutation - which make many people crack - but which cause breathing difficulties in particular.
“Their owners have the best intentions, but are often unaware of the dark side” of these animals and their suffering due to these characteristics, the ministry continued.
“Dogs with a muzzle that is too short, for example, are constantly out of breath,” he added.
According to recent studies, this is the case for animals such as French and English Bulldogs.
Transition period
Since June 2014, it is forbidden to breed animals that are affected by their physical appearance.
Since March 2019, there are clear rules regarding the breeding of dogs with short muzzles: dogs whose muzzle is less than half of their skull can no longer be bred.
But there is still an illegal trade in these animals.
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In addition to prohibiting their possession, the Minister of Agriculture, Piet Adema, also wants a ban on the publication of their photos in advertisements or social networks.
"We make life miserable for innocent animals, just because we think they are
beautiful and cute
," said Adema of the Christian Union party.
"This subject affects me not only as a minister, but also as a human," he said, quoted in the press release.
Any ban will be followed by a transition period: those who already have an affected animal at home will be able to keep it until it dies.
