Pugs Can’t Breathe, Warns PETA India in New Campaign
As pugs remain one of the most popular dog breeds in India, PETA India has erected a series of sky-high warnings across the country to inform the public that foreign brachycephalic (flat-faced) dogs like pugs struggle to breathe and to urge everyone never to buy them. Dogs bred for short noses and flattened faces often require surgery for serious breathing problems.
Cafe Finale, Shop no 10, Shanti Plaza, Fergusson College Road, Ganeshwadi, Deccan Gymkhana, Pune, Maharashtra 411004
VCD DVD Mall, Madanpur Chowk, Phase 3 A, Sector 53, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, Punjab
Cheranallur junction, opposite Hyundai Promise, Kochi, Kerala 682034
27, Vijay Khand, Ujariyaon, Vijay Khand 2, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226010
Pugs, popularised by Vodafone commercials, and other breathing-impaired breeds (BIB) like French and English bulldogs, pugs, Pekingese, Boston terriers, boxers, Cavalier King Charles spaniels, and shih tzus suffer from a debilitating and sometimes fatal condition called brachycephalic syndrome. This can make even going for a walk, chasing a ball, running, and playing – the things that make dogs’ lives joyful and fulfilling – difficult. That’s why PETA India has urged the Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Shri Parshottam Rupala to amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing) Rules, 2017, to prohibit breeding these animals.
PETA India also warns that most pet shops and breeders are illegal, as they aren’t registered with their state animal welfare boards. They typically deprive dogs of proper veterinary care and adequate food, exercise, affection, and opportunities for socialisation – in addition to fuelling the animal overpopulation crisis. PETA India encourages those with the time, patience, love, and resources to welcome a dog into their home to adopt a desi dog, who has not been deliberately bred and who are known for their loving nature, from an animal shelter.
