The Dutch government announced on Friday January 20 that it wanted to ban the ownership of pets that suffer from genetic mutations giving them a "
cute
" appearance, including flat-nosed dogs.
"
When choosing a pet, people often choose features they find cute, such as dogs with short muzzles or cats with folded ears
," the Department of Agriculture said in a statement. .
But “
there is scientific evidence that these cats are in constant pain because they have a cartilage defect caused by a specific gene
,” he notes.
"No pet will have to suffer from its appearance"
In particular, genetic mutations can cause respiratory problems or arthritis in the animals concerned.
"
Their owners have the best intentions but are often unaware of the dark side
" of these animals and their suffering because of these characteristics, continues the ministry, which indicates that "
dogs with a muzzle that is too short are, for example, constantly out of breath
" .
According to recent studies, this is the case with animals such as French and English bulldogs.
“
Dogs with an abnormal skull shape can have constant headaches
,” Agriculture Minister Piet Adema added in a letter to parliament on Friday.
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"
We make life miserable for innocent animals, only because we think they are
'
beautiful
'
and
'
cute
'"
,
summarizes Piet Adema.
According to him, the Netherlands will take “
a big step
” by deciding that “
no pet will have to suffer from its appearance
”.
An illegal trade in these animals
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.
In the Netherlands, it has already been prohibited since 2014 to breed animals that have problems related to their physical appearance.
Rules have also been in force since 2019 regarding the breeding of short-muzzled dogs: those whose muzzle is less than half of their skull can no longer be bred.
But there is still an illegal trade in these animals.
Piet Adema wants a ban on the possession of animals that suffer from their physical appearance, as well as the publication of their photos in advertisements or social networks.
Any ban will however be followed by a transition period which will see the holders of an animal concerned being able to keep it until its death.
