‘Pugs’ Wearing Breathing Apparatus Warn Kochi Residents That Flat-Faced Breeds Suffer for Life
As pugs remain one of the most popular dog breeds in India, supporters of PETA India in pug costumes and oxygen masks gathered in Kochi to warn its citizens that foreign brachycephalic dogs (those with a short skull and flat face), such as pugs, struggle to breathe and can even require surgery for serious respiratory problems – and compassionate people should never buy them.
Pugs, popularised by Vodafone commercials, and other breathing-impaired breeds (BIB) such as French and English bulldogs, Pekingese, Boston terriers, boxers, Cavalier King Charles spaniels, and shih tzus suffer from an agonising and sometimes fatal condition called brachycephalic syndrome, which causes them to pant, snort, wheeze, and struggle to breathe. It can make chasing a ball, running, playing, and even going for a walk – the things that make dogs’ lives joyful and fulfilling – difficult.
PETA India has urged the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying to amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing) Rules, 2017, to prohibit the breeding of these animals. Norway has restricted the breeding of flat-faced dogs, while the Netherlands has banned certain breeds and is considering banning their ownership and use in advertising. PETA India warns that most pet shops and breeders operate illegally without registration, often denying dogs proper care, nutrition, exercise, and socialisation, worsening the animal overpopulation crisis.
PETA India warns that most pet shops and breeders operate illegally without registration, often denying dogs proper care, nutrition, exercise, and socialisation, worsening the animal overpopulation crisis.
If you have the time, patience, love, and resources to welcome a dog into your family, skip buying dogs from breeders or pet shops—many of whom sell animals with painful deformities. Adopt desi dogs who are known for their affectionate and loyal nature.
